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WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/IVotes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  U/Jque, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


n 

D 
D 
D 

n 
n 


n 


a 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  peiliculAe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  bli:e  cr  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Reli4  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cele  Ateit  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  4tA  film6es. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Lee  diitails 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


Th 
to 


I     I   Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 


D 
D 
D 
D 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur6es  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6color6es,  tacheties  ou  piqu6es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 


T^ 
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of 
fill 


Oi 
ba 
th 
si( 
oti 
fir 
sic 
or 


I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 


Quality  in6gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 


0 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc..  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata.  une  peiure. 
etc.,  ont  6ti  fiimies  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  A 
obtenir  la  meilleuH)  image  possible. 


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Additional  comments:/ 
Commenteires  suppl6mentaires; 


The  Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 
has  two  copies  of  this  item,  and  the 
pagination  of  both  copies  commences  at  p. 15. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous 

10X                           14X                            1SX                           ^X 

26X 

aox 

/ 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

The  copy  filmed  her*  hes  been  reproduced  thnnks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Ar';hives  of  British  Columbia 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^  (rreaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


1 

2 

3 

L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAn6rosit6  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  suivantes  ont  Atf  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet^i  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  film^s  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  tu  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiimis  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derni^-e  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbote  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  d  des  taux  de  rMuction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich«,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  methods. 


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" 


THE 


GOLDEISr  STATE: 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE  REGION 


WEST    OF   THE 

ROCKY  MOUNTAINS; 


EMBRACING 

CALIFORNIA, 

OREGON,  NEVADA,  UTAH,  ARIZONA.  IDAHO,  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 
BRITISH  COLUMBIA,  AND  ALASKA, 

|rom  t\tt  (^m\M  ^txM  U  tUt  ^xmnt  ^ime: 

oiriMO  A  FULL  Accovtn  or 

THE    DISCOVEUY    OF   TIIK   COUNTRY;    EARLT  VOYAGES    OF   SPANISH,    ENGLISH 
JfOUTUGUESE,   FRENCH,   RUSSIAN   AND   AMERICAN    NAVIGATORS;   RULE   OF 
SPAIN,  MEXICO,  AND  THE  ^NITED  STATES;  EARLY  SPANISH  MISSIONS; 
REVOLUTIONS;    CONQUEST   BY   MEXICO   AND    BY    THE   UNITED 
STATES;  INAUGURATION  OF  AMERICAN  CIVILIZATION:  DIS- 
COVERY OF  GOLD;    MINING,  MINERALS,  COMMERCE, 
AGRICULTURE,  AND    MANUFACTURES; 

ALSO,  A  rCLL  DESCRIPTION  Or  THB 

KOUNTAINS,   SCENERY,    VALLEYS,    FORESTS,    FLOWERS,  RIVERS.  LAKES,    ISLAVDS,    DESIIKTa 

WATERFALLS.  BAYS,  HA'^BORS,  SPRINGS,  GEYSERS,  CLIMATE,  SEASONS,  NATIVES,  BIRDS, 

FISHES,  BEASTS,  LANDS,  NAVIGATION,  ROADS,    DITCHES,  CANALS,  POPULATIOA, 

CUSTOMS,  SOCIETY,   CHINESE,  COURTS,   LAWS,  EDUCATION,  SCHOOLS,  ER- 

LIGION,  CHURCHES,  LITERATURE,   EMIGRANTS,   CITIES.  COUNTIES. 

TOWNS,  PBOFBSSIONS,  TUAUKS,  AMUSEMIITTS,  Bio. 

WITH  A  HISTORY  OF 

MORMON  ISM  AND  THE  MORMONS. 
By  R.  guy  McCLELLAN^, 

(Reveuteen  YearA  a  Resident  uf  the  Paciflo  Coast,) 

AUTHOR  OF  "REPUBLICANISM  IN  AMERICA,"   Etc., 


Illustrated    with  Numerous  Maps  and  Engravings. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

WILLIAM  FLINT   &  COMPANY, 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA.,  CINCINNATI,  O.,  ATLANTA,  OA.,  SPKINGPIEIiD,  MASS. 

UNION  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,  CHICAGO,  ILLS. 

A.  ROHAN  Sc  CO.,  BAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 
CONNOLLY  A  KELLY,  HALIFAX,  NOVA  SCOTIA. 


W" 


a^L  Z 


^ 


Entered,  .iccording  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 
R.  GUY  McCLELLAN, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  the  Parliament  of  Canada,  in  the  year  187%  by 

R.  GUY  iMcCLELLAN, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Minister  of  Agriculture. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Parliament,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

R.  GUY  McCLELLAN, 

At  Stationers'  Hall,  London,  England. 


'V. 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  to  the  reader  that  region  of  the  Republic  of  America 
lying  west  of  the  P  vky  mountains,  a  territory  bewildering  in  its 
vastness,  and  fertile,  rich,  varied,  wild,  and  picturesque  beyond 
description,  reveals  its  charms;  and  a  history  of  unbounded  fas- 
cination, leading  its  devious  courses  through  the  rough  seas  of  the 
buccaneer  and  navigator,  over  the  arid  plains  and  precipitate  moun- 
tains of  the  explorer,  checkered  and  interspersed  with  the  pilgrimages 
of  the  holy  fathers,  the  march  of  conquering  bqnds,  the  achievements 
of  invading  armies,  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations,  the  events  of  dis- 
covery and  conquest,  the  revealing  of  unlimited  treasures,  the  opening 
of  new  avenues  of  commerce,  the  building  of  new  societies,  the 
founding  of  new  states,  the  advent  of  new  social  and  religious  con- 
ditions, the  weird  enchantments  of  the  phantom  king,  gold,  and 
the  delusive  and  fascinating  hopes  of  his  devotees  is  unfolded. 

The  binding  together  of  the  extremes  of  the  nation  by  bands  of 
steel,  upon  which  the  swift  courser  with  iron  hoof  and  fiery  breath 
leaps  over  vast  plains  and  climbs  arid  heights  in  his  journey  from 
sea  to  sea,  the  broad-winged  messenger  of  commerce  teaching  the 
lesson  of  exchange  and  intercourse  to  the  Orient  and  new  republic, 
daily  tend  to  awaken  interests  in  our  newest  but  richest  half  of  the 
nation,  and  familiarize  the  people  of  every  clime  with  the  vit^rivalled 
beauty  and  attractions  of  that  vast  domain,  passing  from  the  chaos 
of  bygone  ages  into  the  activities  of  unsurpassed  social  and  com- 
mercial life. 

So  little  is  known  abroad  respecting  the  vastness,  fertility,  natural 
wealth,  genial  climate,  and  great  development  of  the  Pacific  slope, 
that  I  write  in  the  ardent  hope  of  drawing  the  attention  of  the  public 
of  America  and  the  adventurous  of  all  lands  to  a  section  embracing 
more  than  one-half  of  the  area  of  the  whole  American  Republic,  and 


3288^ 


i6 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


containing  more  of  the  precious  metals  than  all  the  world  beside — 
a  land  whose  giant  mountains  in  their  eternal  ermine  crowns,  looking 
from  their  thrones  of  clouds,  forest  trees  lifting  their  arms  toward 
the  sky,  and  mountain  urns  tumbling  their  crystal  floods  from  aerial 
.  heights,  present  the  grandest  scenes  of  terrestrial  beauty. 

Many  books  have  been  written  respecting  the  Pacific  coast  and 
its  people ;  but,  in  most  cases,  they  have  been  the  result  of  the  ex- 
aggerated and  distorted  visions  of  early  voyagers,  or  the  superficial 
•observer,  catching  brief  glimpses  of  the  Sierras  in  hurried  trip  from 
ocean  to  ocean,  or  the  wila  dreams  of  some  enthusiast  fresh  from 
the  snows  of  the  East,  plunged  into  the  flower  gardens  of  the  Golden 
State,  and  sipping  the  rich  wines  of  Los  Angeles  at  the  festive  boards 
of  kind  friends. 

In  producing  a  History  of  the  whole  Pacific  Coast,  from  the 
northern  extreme  of  Alaska  to  the  tropical  regions  of  Mexico,  I  have 
brought  to  my  aid  the  experience  of  seventeen  years  residence  and 
active  participation  in  the  stirring  events  and  business  affairs  of  the 
country,  and  extensive  travel  and  observation  in  California,  Nevada, 
Oregon,  Utah,  Idaho,  Washington  Territory,  and  British  Columbia, 
where,  by  the  camp-fire  of  the  pilgrim  gold-hunter,  in  the  dark 
chamber  of  the  mine,  on  the  tedious  march,  and  dangerous  ascent  of 
the  mountain  height,  the  checkered  fortune  and  uncertain  fate,  I 
have  been  enabled  to  present  from  personal  and  long  experience  the 
chief  events  whereof  I  write. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Yosemite  Falls  and  Valley, 
Aurora  Borealis,  as  seen  in  Northei .  Alaska 
Map  of  North  America,      .  .  . 

The  Golden  Gate,         .  .  . 

Sir  Francis  Drake  'n  California  in  1579..     . 
Spanish  Ship  of  the  Seventeenth  Ccatury, 
The  Golden  Gate  and  Bay  of  San  Francisco  in 
Montgomery  Street,  San  Francisco,  in  1849, 
Mission  of  Santa  Barbara  in  1786,  . 

Father  Garzes  and  the  Indians  in  1775, 
Mission  of  San  Carlos  in  1770,      .  . 

Frontier  Fort,    .... 
Mud  Volcano,         .... 
Falls  of  the  Yellowstone,  ,  .         . 

Dale  Creek  Bridge,  Rocky  Mountains,       . 
Sherman,  Summit  of  the  Rpcky  Mountains, 
Monterey,  California,  in  1846, 
Mission  Rancho,  California,  in  1776,    . 
Mission  of  San  Francisco  in  1776,  . 

New  Almaden  Quicksilver  Mines, 
Dennison's  Exchange  and  the  Parker  House, 
Island  and  Cove  of  Verba  Buena, 
Sutter's  Mill — First  Discovery  of  Gold,      . 
James  W.  Marshall,  Discoverer  of  Gold, 
"  Honest  Miners  "  Going  Home,    .         ■  • 
Surface  Gold  Mining  in  1849,  • 

Interior  of  the  El  Dorados,  .  . 

San  Francisco  in  1849, 
Celebrating  the  First  Fourth  of  July,  J836, 
First  Protestant  Church  in  San  Fraucie.o, 
Rush  to  the  Gold  Mines  in  1848,   .  . 

Horse-Raising  in  California,     .  . 

Map  of  the  State  of  California,        .  . 

Night  Scene  on  the  San  Joaquin  River, 
Night  Scene  on  the  Sacramento  River,       . 
The  Ford  of  the  Yosemite,        .  . 

Mount  Shasta,         .... 


1769, 


(»7) 


VAOS. 

Title 

IS 
21 

33 
40 
40 
48 
48 

52 
52 
64 
70 

74 

75 

78 

8? 

86 

86 

loi 

idi 

no 

no 

116 

lao 

120 

121 

121 

124 

124 

^33 

133 

140 

»47 
154 
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ILLUSTRATIONS. 


"  Big  Trees  "  of  Mariposa  and  Calaveras, 
The  Pioneer's  Cabin :  Room  for  Thirty  Inside 
Nevada  Falls,  Yosemite  Valley, 
Section  of  Mammoth  Tree, 
A  Cotillon  Party  on  the  Stump  of  the  Mammoth  Tree, 
Lake  Tahoe,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
Mirror  Lake,  Ycsemite  Valley,  . 

Sentinel  Rock,  Yosemite  Valley,    . 
Donner  Lake,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
Seal  Rock  and  the  "  Cliff  House," 
Farallone  Islands,  .  .  • 

Sea  Lions  near  the  Golden  Gate, 
Yosemite  Falls, 

South,  or  Half  Dome,  Yosemite  Valley, 
El  Capitan,  Yosemite  Valley,     . 
Cathedral  Rocks,  Yosemite  Valley, 
Bull  and  Bear  Fight,     . 
Whale  Fishing  off  the  Coast  of  Alaska, 
Emigrant  Train — Gold  Hunters, 
Chinese  Gold  Mining  in  California, 
.Miners  Around  Their  Camp-Fire, 
Snow  Sheds,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains 
Hydraulic  Mining, 
Mail  Sei-vice  in  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 
■  Crossing  the  Plains,       ,  . 

Moving  on  the  Plains,         ,  . 

Rodeo — Cattle-Brand-.ng,  . 

Lassoing  Horses  in  California,        . 
The  Giantess,    . 

Great  Geyser  of  the  Fire-Hole  Basin, 
The  Bee- Hive, 

Bridal  Veil  Fall,  Yosemite  Valley, 
North  Dome  and  Royal  Arch, 
Cape  Horn,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
Tunnel  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 
Lakes  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains 
Lincoln  School-House,  San  Francisco, 
First  School-House  in  San  Francisco, 
Mount  Tamalpais,         .  , 

Summit  of  the  Sierras, 
First  Hotel  in  San  Francisco,    . 
Grand  Hotel,  San  Francisco, 
San  Francisco  Destroyed  by  Fire, 
San  Francisco  in  1847,       •  • 


PAGB. 
162 
163 
163 
166 
166 
170 

181 
196 
202 
202 
214 
218 
.218 
219 
236 

344 

«S8 
271 
281 
281 
290 
3^ 
336 
343 
348 
3S4 
354 
354 
355 
355 
360 
366 

366 
382 
382 
420 

443 
454 

454 
458 
458 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


19 


Custom  House,  San  Francisco,  m  1849, 

Post  Office,  San  Francisco,  in  1849,  . 

A  Buffalo  Hunt  on  the  Plains,  .  , 

Giant  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Region,  . 

The  Fan  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Region, 

Bathing  Pools,  Yellowstone  Region,  , 

The  Grotto  Geysers,  Yellowstone  Region, 

First  Glimpses  of  the  Sierras, 

Giant's  Gap,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 

American  River,  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains, 

Pleasant  Valley,    . 

Interior  of  Snow-Sheds,     .  . 

Map  of  the  Pacific  States,  . 

Deer  Hunting  in  Oregon,  .  . 

Falls  on  Columbia  River,  . 

View  on  the  Columbia  River,         . 

Catching  Salmon,  Columbia  River, 

Mount  Hood,  Oregon,         .  . 

Scene  on  the  Columbia  River,  . 

Star  Peak,  Nevada,  .  .  . 

Mule  Team  Going  to  the  Silver-Mines, 

Indians  Horse- Racing  on  the  Plains,  . 

General  View  of  Great  Salt  Lake  City, 

Brigham  Young's  Harems,  Salt  Lake  City, 

Street  Scene  in  Salt  Lake  City, 

Witches  Rock,        .  .  . 

Starting  for  the  Mines,  .  . 

Wagon  Load  of  Mormons,  , 

Mormon  Temple,  Salt  Lake  City, 

A  Mormon  Family, 

Pulpit  Rock,  Echo  Caf.on,  Utah, 

Monument-Rock,  Echo  Cafion,  Utah, 

Joseph  Smith,  Founder  of  the  Mormon  Church 

Brigham  Young,  Head  of  the  Mormon  Church 

Joseph  F.  Smith,  One  of  the  "  Twelve  Apostles," 

Mrs.  Alice  Young  Clawson,  Brigham  Young's  Daughter, 

George  A.  Smith,  "  Church  Historian," 

Orson  Hyde,  President  of  the  Twelve  Apostles. 

Orson  Pratt,  One  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 

Brigham  Young  and  a  Portion  of  His  Family, 

Finger  Rock,  Weber  Cafion,  Utah, 

View  of  Great  Salt  Lake,    .  .  . 

Procuring  Poison  for  His  Arrows,         • 

Interview  with  a  Grizzly,    .  .  • 


PAGB. 
462 
462 

474 
482 
482 
483 
483 
504 
512 
512 
S16 

S16 
523 
526 
530 
530 
534 
538 
538 
541 
544 
548 
549 
554 
554 
555 
555 
555 
558 
558 
559 
559 
562 
562 
562 
562 
563 
563 
563 
574 
582 

590 
600 
604 


^mm 


20 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Apache  Squaw,  Scalp-Dance,   . 

Shooting  Mountain  Sheep,  . 

Indians  Gambling, 

The  Great  Shoshone  Falls,  Idaho, . 

Council  with  Friendly  Indians, 

Emigrants  Fording  the  Snake  River, 

The  Great  CaiSon  and  Falls  of  the  Yellowstone 

The  Devil's  Slide,  Yellowstone  Region,    , 

Gistle  Rock,  Columbia  RivvT,  .  . 

Mount  Rainier,       .... 

Indian  Canoe  Race,  on  Interior  Lake, 

Old  Fort  Walla- Walla,       . 

Shale  Rocks  and  Tower  Palls,  Yellowstone, 

Great  Spirit,  Fire-Hole  Basin, 

Yellowstone  Lake, 

Indian  Encampment,  Peget  Sound, 

Elk  Hunting,  British  Columbia, 

Indians,  Interior  of  Alaska, 

Native  of  British  Columbia, 

Map  of  Alaska  and  British  Columbia, 

Sitka,  or  New  Archangel, 

Icebergs  off  the  Coast  of  Alaska,  . 

Natives  Housebuilding,  Alaska, 

Skin  Canoe  and  Indians,  Alaska,    . 

Aurora  Borealis  as  seen  in  Alaska, 

Moose  Hunting  in  the  Yukon,  Alaska, 


604 

605 

60s 

607 

610 

610 

612 

613 

616 

616 

620 

621 

624 

625 

625 

628 

632 

638 

638 

644 

648 

652 

656 

656 

662 

666 


6 

1 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 

Discovery  of  America — ^Earliest  colonization — Columbus'  voy- 
ages— Spanish  in  South  and  Central  America — Cortez  in 
Mexico — Cabrillo  and  Drake  iri  California — Behring,  Cook, 

.  Vancouver,  and  other  navigators — ^Jesuits — ^Acquisition  of 
California-^Discovery  of  Gold 33 

CHAPTER  n. 

First  recorded  history — Jesuits — Missions — Cortez'  expedi- 
tion— Exploration  of  the  Gulf  of  California — Ulloa's  expedi- 
tion— Cortez  returns  to  Spain — Cabrillo's  expedition — Sir 
Francis  Drake's  expedition :  he  takes  possession  of  Califor- 
nia— New  Albion — San  Diego  and  Monterey  discovered — 
The  Golden  Gate  not  yet  discovered — Viscayno's  voyage — 
Father  Tierra's  expedition  :  he  takes  possession  of  California 
in  the  name  of  the  King  of  Spain — Conversion  of  the 
heathen — Father  Ugarte's  expedition — The  Jesuits  expelled — 
Franciscan  missions  established — Father  Serra's  expedition — 
Dominican  friars  in  California — Voyage  of  the  San  Carlos 
and  San  Antonio — Loss  of  the  San  Jos^ 40 


CHAPTER  III. 

Don  Portala's  expedition — First  settlement  established — ^Father 
Serra  at  San  Diego — First  chapel  built — Discovery  of  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco — Founding  of  missions — San  Carlos 
the  first  vessel  that  entered  the  Golden  Gate — Native  civili- 
zation— Spain  and  the  Franciscan  fathers — Wealth  of  the 
missions — Independence  of  Mexico — Government  of  Cali- 
fornia— Manumission  of  the  Indians — Property  of  the  missions 

confiscated — Departure  of  the  fathers 49 

(21) 


22 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 
CHAPTER  IV. 


Republican  government  in  Mexico— American  flag  hoisted  at 
Monterey — France  and  England  seek  to  possess  Califor- 
nia—  De  Mofra's  explorations — Russians  in  California — 
Revolution :  a  Yankee  in  it — Monterey  captured  by  Alva- 
rado  and  Graham — California  declared  a  free  State — Vallejo 
military  chief— Religion  established  by  law — Mexican  author- 
ity again  recognized — Graham  and  others  banished — Com- 
modore Jones  declares  California  a  part  of  the  United  States 
in  1842 — Revolution  of  1844 — Castro  General-in-chief — 
Banishment  of  Governor  Micheltorena 58 


I 


s  ^ 


CHAPTER  V. 

Early  navigators — ^Voyage  of  Sir  Francis  Drake — Voyages  of 
Sebastian  Viscayno  and  Vistus  Behring — Settlement  of  Sitka 
— ^King  George's  Sound  Company — East  India  Company — 
Thomas  Jeflferscn's  interest  in  the  Pacific  coast — Expedi- 
tion of  John  Ledyard:  he  is  arrested  by  order  of  the 
Empress  of  Russia — Voyage  of  Vancouver — The  King  of 
Spain  forbids  Captain  Cook  to  enter  California — First  Amer- 
ican vessels  on  the  Pacific  coast — Captain  Gray  discovers  the 
Columbia  river — First  American  vessel  enters  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco — John  Brown  and  Thomas  Raben  first  Americans 
in  California — ^Trade  to  the  Columbia  river — Count  Rosa- 
noff  in  California — Delia  Byrd  enters  San  Diego — Russians 
evacuate  California  at  the  request  of  the  United  States — 
Expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark — First  settlement  in  Oregon 
— John  Jacob  Astor  founds  Astoria — Fur  trade  of  Oregon — 
The  British  take  possession  of  Oregon — Its  restoration  to 
the  United  States — Astor's  fur  trade  in  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains—First overland  journey  to  California — Arrest  of  Jede- 
diah  Smith — Letter  from  American  seamen  in  1826 — Letter 
from  Smith  to  one  of  the  fathers— Death  of  J.  S.  Smith 
— Battle's  expedition — Asiatic  emigration  encouraged — First 
settlers  in  California — First  mercantile  house  in  California — 
Commodore  Wilkes*  expedition  to  the  Pacific— Discovery  of 
a  wrecked  Japanese  junk— Fremont's  explorations — Sutter's 
hospitality— End  of  Fremont's  second  exploration 64 


CONTENTS. 


23 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Pico  and  Castro  in  command  of  California — Decline  of  the 
missions — Early  trade — English,  French,  and  American 
consuls  in  California — Indolence  of  the  people — Fremont's 
third  exploration:  his  trials  and  triumphs  in  California — 
Castro  and  Fremont — Fremont  raises  the  American  flag- 
Lieutenant  Gillespie  carries  letters  to  Fremont — Kit  Carson 
saves  Fremont — Sonoma  captured — W.  B.  Ide  declares  a 
republican  government  and  hoists  the  "Bear  Flag" — Fre- 
mont elected  Governor — Commodore  Sloat  captures  Mon- 
terey— British  projects  frustrated — Sloat's  proclamation — ■ 
The  American  flag  hoisted  in  San  Francisco — Commodore 
Stockton  at  Monterey — Dupont  and  General  Kearney  at 
Monterey — Arrival  of  Stevenson's  regiment — Uneasiness  of 
the  native  Californians — Interesting  speeches — Proposition  to 
place  California  under  the  protection  of  England  or  France — 
General  Vallejo  favors  annexation  to  the  United  States 86 

CHAPTER   VII. 

Feud  between  Sloat  and  Fremont — Commodore  Stockton  in 
command  :  his  proclamation — Departure  of  Sloat — Castro, 
■Pico,  and  Flores  oppose  the  Americans — Stockton  warns 
Castro  of  his  peril — Flores'  proclamation  to  his  countrymen 
— Final  surrender  of  the  Mexicans — Treaty  of  peace  con- 
cluded— Strife  between  Commodore  Stockton  and  General 
Kearney — Fremont  appointed  Military  Governor — Stockton 
takes  his  departure — Fremont  ousted — General  Kearney  and 
Commodore  Shubrick  in  command — Colonel  Mason  super- 
sedes General  Kearney — General  Kearney  proceeds  to  Wash- 
ington— His  ill-treatment  of  Fremont — Fremont  arrested  and 
carried  to  Fortress  Monroe — Court-martialled — Discharged 
from  arrest  by  order  of  the  President — Nominated  for  the 
Presidency loi 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Colonel  Mason  and  General  Riley  in  command  of  the  govern- 
ment of  California — End  of  the  Mexiccin  war — Acquisition 
of  Texas  and  New  Mexico — Treaty  between  the  United  States 


mmfm^ 


wpni^PWfH 


24 


Tff£  GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  Mexico — ^Boundary  established — Convention  to  frame  a 
State  Constitution  meets  at  Monterey— California  admitted 
into  the  Union — ^Treaty  between  England  and  the  I  nited 
States  defining  western  boundary — Claims  of  Portugal  to 
California — Claims  of  Spain— Pope  Alexander  VI  settles  the 
dispute — Treaty  between  Spain  and  Portugal — ^A  bull  from 
the  Pope — Chain  of  title  to  California — Speech  of  Hon. 
Thomas  H.  Benton  on  the  boundary  question — Treaty  stipu- 
lations— Rulers  under  Spanish,  Mexican,  and  United  States 
governments  in  California — English,  French,  and  American 
consuls  in  California xio 


CHAPTER  IX. 

California  under  American  rule — Population  in  1842  and  7845 
— ^Arrival  of  Mormons  at  San  Francisco — Population  in 
1848 — In  1870 — Composition  ofpopulation  of  San  Francisco 
in  1842 — Establishment  of  Mission  Dolores — First  house  built 
in  San  Francisco — First  child  born — Hudson  Bay  Company 
at  San  Francisco — First  newspaper  in  California — First  school 
—First  Protestant  minister — First  Protestant  church — First 
steamboat — Discovery  of  gold — Sutter  and  Marshall — First 
mining — Rush  to  the  mines — Official  notice  of  the  gold 
discovery — ^Early  gold-seekers— Advent  of  the  Chinese 116 


CHAPTER  X. 

Population  of  California  in  1849— Rush  to  the  mines — Gold 
yield  of  1848— Population  and  scenes  of  San  Francisco  in 
1849— Ships  for  California — Overland  emigration — Across 
the  Isthmus — Arrival  of  first  steamer — Commerce  in  1849 — 
Occupations  of  the  people— Gray-shirt  brigade— Ships  at  a 
discount— Up  the  Sacramento  river — Early  disappointments 
—Gambling— Gold  product— Gold  excitements— Honesty 
of  the  "  forty-niners  "—Lynch  law— Prices  in  the  min^s— 
Cultivation  of  the  soil— Cattle— Eggs— Fruit— All  "going 
home  in  the  spring  "—Indians  in  the  mines— Yankee  specu- 
lators—Suffering and  disappointments  in  the  mines— Miners 
going  home 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


25 


Growing  importance  of  San  Francisco — Crime  and  dissipation 
— First  Vigilance  Committee — Law  and  order — Building  a 
city  —  Destroyed  by  fire  —  Rebuilt — Wild  speculation — 
Strange  occupations — Fortune  and  misfortune — First  house 
built  at  Sacramento — Population  of — Prosperity  in  business 
and  speculation — Price  of  land  in  San  Francisco — Rents  in 
San  Francisco — Prices  of  merchandise — Amusements — Board 
— Labor — Cost  of  building — Streets  paved  with  merchandise 
• — Gold-hunters  still  arriving — Largest  product  of  gold- 
Suicide  and  death — Only  a  mining  country — Import  of 
breadstuffs — Interior  steam-navigation — First  river-steamer — 
Fares  on  the  rivers 133 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Early  agriculture — No  vegetables — Gardening  in  the  mines — 
Advent  of  farmers — Ignorance  of  seasons  and  crops — Increase 
of  agriculture — Lumber — Fishing — Manufacturing — Coal^ 
Fruits — Vegetables — Permanent  settlement  in  California — 
Varied  industry — Happy  homes — Legitimate  occupations— 
Gold-hunters'  graves — Overland  emigration — Suffering  of  the 
" Donner  party" — Settlers  to  the  rescue 140 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

California — Origin  of  the  name — Griffins  in  the  land — Hot 
ovens  of  the  natives — ^Area  of  the  State — Agricultural,  min-. 
eral,  grazing,  and  marsh  lands — Area  equal  to  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  States  the  size  of  Rhode  Island — Compared 
with  states  and  countries  of  Europe — Equal  to  thirty-eight 
governments  of  Europe — Capable  of  supporting  a  population 
of  eighty-three  million — Great  productiveness  of  the  soil — 
Genial  climate — Great  natural  resources — Commercial  im- 
portance— Mountains — Valleys — Rivers —  Climate — Seasons 
— Harvests — Forests — Mineral  range — Beauties  and  wonders 
of  the  Sierras 147 


26 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 
CHAPTER  XIV. 


Mountains— Sierra  Nevadas— Winter,  spring,  and  summer  in 
the  Sierras— Snows  of  the  mountains— Farming,  lumbering, 
and  grazing  in  the  Sierras— Forests— Big  trees— Shrubs- 
Plants— Flowers— Grasses— Poison  oak 159 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Valleys— Trees,  vegetables,  fruits,  flowers,  grain,  and  grasses — 
Lakes— Alkaline  and  borax  lakes— Dry  lakes— Death  valley.  170 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Rivers— Bays— Harbors— Bay  of  San  Francisco — Puget  sound 
— ^Fort  Point — Straits-  ■?'an  Quentin — Islands — Seal  Rock — 
Cliff  House — ^Sea-lions — Golden  Gate:  origin  of  the  name.  181 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Islands  off  the  coast— -Farallones — Islands  in  bays  and  rivers- 
First  mint  in  California — Indian  tribes— Shell  money —    . 
Springs — Petroleum — Mud  springs — Calistoga  springs— Sul- 
phur springs — Soda  springs — Tar  springs — Asphaltum — 
Geysers 202 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Waterfalls — Yosemite  falls — Creeks — Rivers — ^Mirror  lake — 
Bridal  Vail — Earthquakes 214 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Zoology — Relics  of  antiquity — ^Animals — Birds — Fishes — ^Bull 
and  bear  fights— Reptiles — Bees— Horned  toad— Whales. . ..  236 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  XX. 


27 


The  precious  metals — First  mention  of  gold — Gold  in  Eden — 
Gods  of  the  heathen — Aaron's  golden  calf — Ornaments  of 
Jerusalem — Gold  ot  the  Romans — First  gold  in  America — 
Gold  in  South  America  and  Mexico — Gold  in  Asia  and 
Europe — Gold-mining  in  th^  United  States — Discovery  of 
gold  in  California — Sir  Francis  Drake's  voyage — Expedition 
of  Commodore  Wil'ces  to  California — Product  of  gold —  ' 
Mining  operations — Quartz  and  quartz-mining — Rich  mines 
— Quartz  mills — Discovery  of  gold  in  Australia :  yield  of  the 
precious  metals  in — On  the  Pacific  coast — Mineral  wealth  of 
Great  Britain — Progress  of  mining  in  Australia — Chinese 
in  the  gold-fields — Precious  metal  in  the  world 248 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Tunnel-mining — Sutro  tunnel — Canals — Ditches — Asphaltum 
— Cement — Coal — Copper — Cobalt — Nickle — Diamonds — 
Electro-silicon — Gypsum — Iron — Lead — Petroleum — Quick- 
silver— Salt — Sulphur — ^Tin  —  Marble  —  Granite  —  Caves  — 
Mining  law^s — Mining  laws  of  Spain  and  i^'jxico — Geology 
and  mineralogy — Great  mines  of  the  worla 271 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Climate — Seasons — Heat  and  cold — Winter  in  the  Sierras — 
Trade-winds — ^Animal  vitality — Summer  in  the  Sierras  and 
valleys — Rain-fall  compared  with  other  parts  of  the  world — 
Flowers  of  the  valleys — Spring-time — Wheat-fields — ^Agricul- 
ture— Harvesting — Planting  and  sowing — ^Volunteer  crops — 
Straw-burning— Storms  and  hurricanes — Sand-storms 292 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Agriculture — Manufactures — Commerce — First  agriculture  in 
America — Increase  of  agriculture  in  California — Decline  of 
mining— Decay  of  mining  towns — ^Area  of  California — Agri- 
cultural lands — Spanish  grants — Vast  estates — How  to  obtain 


28 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


public  lands— School  lands— Who  may  secure  the  public 
lands— Grain,  fruit,  and  vegetable  growing— Yield  of  grain 
per  acre— Harvesting— Wild  oats— Wild  mustard— Hops 
—Potatoes— Tobacco— Large  vegetable  growths— Straw- 
berries—Tropical  fruits— Oranges,  figs,  and  nuts— The  grape 
— Fertility  of  the  Sierras — ^Tea  culture — Beet  sugar— Cotton 
and  rice — Silk  culture 


309 


Sheep  and  wool — Horses- 
— Native  horsemanship 
bees 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Cattle  raising  and  branding 


Rodeos 
Lassoing  grizzly  bears — Poultry  and 


342 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Natural  advantages — Regularity  of  climate — Perpetual  summer 
— Advantages  for  manufacturing — Interest  on  money — Manu- 
factories— Railroads  first  in  California — Great  overland  rail- 
road ;  building  and  completion  of — Government  aid  in  bonds 
and  lands  to  railroads — "The  last  tie" — Rejoicings  at  the. 
completion  of  the  great  national  highway — Ocean,  bay,  and 
river  navigation— Ship-building — Telegraphs,  postage,  and 
post-ofhces — United  States  branch  mint — Circulating  me- 
dium— Mints  on  the  Pacific  coast — Navy-yard — Commerce- 
Exports  of  gold  and  merchandise — Agricultural  and  mechani- 
cal products — Decline  in  gold-mining — Shipping  of  San 
Francisco  —  Imports  and  exports — Effects  of  the  overland 
railroad 


355 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Edacation— Free  schools— Schools  in  San  Francisco — Cost  of 
School  Department— Chinese  schools — Indian  slaves — Na- 
tional education — Agricultural  colleges — State  university — 
Agricultural  societies— Reform,  deaf,  dumb,  and  blind 
schools  —  Newspapers— Books— Libraries — Literature — Pro- 
tective and  benevolent  societies  —  Religion — Prisons  and 
crimes— Asylums — Governors  of  California— Laws — lawyeys 
—Doctors — Div  ines xZ% 


CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER  XXVII. 


29 


Chinese  empire — Chinese  in  the  United  States — Seeking  gold 
in  America — In  California — Employments,  character,  and 
customs  of  the  Chinese — Chinese  in  San  Francisco — Moral 
depravity — Chinese  persecuted — Social  and  political  condi- 
tion of  the  Chinese  —  Buddha,  Confucius,  and  Mencius — 
Religion  of  the  Orient — Chinese  classics — Opium  and  other 
stimulants — Small  feet  of  the  women — Christianity  among 
the  Chinese  —  Coolyism  —  Chinese  si;  .very  in  .\merica — 
Spanish  barbarity 420 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Counties  —  Coast  counties  —  Area — Productions — Population 
— ^San  Diego — Los  Angeles — Santa  Barbara — San  Luis  Obispo 

•  — Monterey — Santa  Cruz — San  Mateo — San  Francisco :  com- 
position of  the  city,  its  population,  education,  buildings, 
trades,  professions,  newspapers,  nationalities,  society — Marin 
— Sonoma — Mendocino— Humboldt — Klamath — Del  Norte.  443 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Interior  and  valley  counties — Resources,  climate,  and  popula- 
tion— Siskiyou— Trinity — Shasta — Tehama — Butte — Colusa 
— ^Yuba — Sutter — ^Yolo — ^Lake — Napa — Solano — Sacramento 
— Contra  Costa — Alameda — San  Joaquin — Stanislaus — Santa 
Clara — Merced — Fresno — Tulare — Kern — Saa  Bernardino. .  474 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Mountain  counties — Area,  resources,  climate,  and  population — 
Jnyo — Mono — Mariposa — Tuolumne  —  Calaveras — Amador 
— Alpine-^El  Dorado — Placer — Nevada — Sierra — Plumas — 
Lassen 504 


■^PPPflW" 


30 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Pacific  coast — Oregon  —  Nevada —  Utah  — Arizona — Idaho- 
Washington  Territory— British  Columbia  and  Alaska 523 

OREGON. 
History— Geography — Climate — Seasons — Forests — Minerals — 
.     Mining — Agriculture— Rivers — Mountains — Resources — Pro- 
gress— Area — Population — Cities — Society 526 

CHAPTEi:  XXXII. 
NEVADA. 
Acquisition  of—Area — ^Population — Geography — Mountains- 
Valleys — Lakes —  Rivers —  Forests — Soil — Seasons — Climate 
— Mines — Mining — Minerals — Counties  —  Cities  — Progress 
— Schools — Newspapers — Libraries — Future  prospects. .....  541 

CHAPTER  XXXIIL 
UTAH. 
Area — Acquisition — Climate  —  Seasons  —  Mines  —  Mining — • 
Minerals —  Mountains — Lakes — Rivers — Agriculture — Edu- 
cation— Material  development — Mormons — Society — Popu- 
lation— Great  Salt  lake  and  Salt  Lake  City — Overland  rail- 
road— Discovery  and  history  of  Salt  lake 549 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
MORMONISM  AND  THE   MOkI.-ONS. 
Population  and  religions  of  the  world — Christianity — Moham- 
medanism— Buddhism  —  Judaism  —  Mormonism:    its   rise, 
progress,  history,  and  practices— Joseph  the  prophet  and  his 
followers— The  golden  plates  from  the  hill  Cumorah— Chiia. 
in  America— Mormon  and  Moroni — ^John  the  Baptist  ordains  ' 
Joseph  Smith— Smith's  birth,  early  history,  life,  adventures, 
and  death— Polygamy—Brigham  Young :  his  birth,  histbry, 
and  career — Desertion  of  Nauvoo — Mormons  march  west- 
ward—Settle at  Salt  lake— Their  city,  religion,  society,  and 
practices — Despotism  in  Utah— Mormon  godhead 563 


W" 


523 


CONTENTS. 


31 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
ARIZONA   TERRITORY. 
Area  and  population  —  Climate — Soil — Mountains — Rivers- 
Forests— Mines  — Mining— Minerals— Settlement— Civiliza- 
tion— Railroads — Indians 600 


526 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
IDAHO    TERRITORY. 
Area  —  Geography  —  Mountains  —  Rivers  —  Forests — ^Lake^ — 
Scenery— Waterfalls— Valleys— Agriculture  —  Climate  —  In- 
dians—  Gold  and  silver  mines — Material  progress — Railroads 
—Cities  and  towns — Population 607 


541 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 
History,  area,  and  population — Boundary — Geography — Moun- 
tains — Lakes  — Rivers — Bays—  Harbors — Seasons — Climate 
— Agriculture — Grazing — Forests — Lumber — Commerce — 
Fish — Game — Natives — Gold,  silver,  coal,  and  other  mines 
— ^Progress — Rauroads 613 


549 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

BRITIS'I    COLUMBIA. 

Ge<3graphy— History — Hudson  Bay  Company — Area — Islands 
— Mountains  —  Rivers— Lakes — Forests — Climate — Agricul- 
ture— Valleys— Seasons — Rain — Bays  —  Harbors  —  Inlets- 
Natural  resources — Gold  and  other  minerals — Cities — Customs 
—Population — Natives — Commerce — Canadian  railway 632 


563 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

ALASKA. 

History— Geography— Area  —  Mountains—  Forests— Rivers — 
Seas — Bays — Harbors — Islands — Climate — Seasons — Mines 
— Natives — Fish — Animals — Fur-seals — Commerce  —  Popu- 
lation— Towns — Progress — Religion — Future  prospects 644 


^S^^^^^H 


Km 


mpRffP 


"H"PHFr^"P' 


32 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 
CHAPTER  XL. 


APPENDIX.   , 

Population  of  the  United  States :  native,  foreign,  colored,  and 
Chinese—Population  of  the  Pacific  coast :  native,  foreign, 
and  Chinese— Population  by  counties  of  California,  Oregon, 
Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  Idaho,  Washington  Territory:  also, 
aggregate  of  Alaska  and  British  Columbia — Chinese  in  the 
United  States  and  on  the  Pacific  coast — Distances  from  San 
Francisco  to  various  points  inland  and  to  various  ports  and 
countries  and  cities  of  the  United  States — Population  of 
cities.  ...........«•#•• ^5^ 


■■V 


%. 


i 


i 


F 
h 

/ 

\^ 
f( 
ir 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE 


CHAPTER  I. 

Discovery  of  America — Earliest  Colonization — Columbus'  Voyages 
— Spanish  in  South  and  Central  America — Cortez  in  Mexico 
— Cabrillo  and  Drake  in  California — Behring,  Cook,  Vancouver, 
and  other  navigators — Jesuits — Acquisition  of  California — Dis- 
covery of  Gold. 

The  growth  of  civilization  and  colonization  In  what 
IS  termed  the  New  World  presents  many  striking  feat- 
ures of  interest;  and  the  tedious  march  of  progress  in 
the  early  history  of  the  country  contrasts  forcibly  with 
the  rapid  strides  of  popular  Institutions,  education,  and 
the  advancement  of  the  present  period. 

Modern  colonization  in  America,  as  It  marches  west- 
ward, subduing  prairie  and  forest,  spanning  rivers  and 
piercing  mountains,  establishing  governments,  found- 
ing states  and  cherishing  civilization.  Is  in  hopeful  con- 
trast with  the  decay  of  many  of  the  countries  and 
governments  of  Europe,  where  a  stagnation  of  Ideas, 
stereotyped  monotony,  and  general  apathy  of  the  peo- 
ple mark  the  decline  of  many  of  these  countries,  whose 
haughty  rulers  reigned  In  splendor  centuries  before 
America  was  known. 

Colonization  and  civilization  in  America  advanced 
with  singular  irregularity ;  often  contending  with  most 
formidable  natural  obstacles,  while  vast  regions,  most 
inviting  and  possessing  great  natural  attractions,  were 

3  {33) 


34 


THE    GOLDEN   STATE. 


liJ. 


I  M    M 

''I 


entirely  neglected  or  unknown.  Thus,  while  the  seeds 
of  our  social  and  national  existence  were  being  sown 
in  the  east,  the  vast  territory  of  California,  with  its  rich 
soil,  genial  climate,  and  balmy  atmosphere,  lay  wrapped 
in  primitive  solitude. 

The  first  setdement  and  attempt  at  civilization  on 
the  western  continent  was  made  in  Mexico,  by  the  races 
of  men  whose  origin  is  still  a  mystery.  The  Taltecs, 
who,  in  the  year  A.  D.  700,  first  settled  in  this  country, 
maintained  a  semi-civilization  in  Mexico  for  four  centu- 
ries; from  which  period,  for  four  additional  centuries, 
(until  1 52 1,)  the  Aztecs,  and  other  tribes  from  the 
north,  maintained  a  form  of  government,  founded  the 
city  of  Mexico,  and  erected  the  splendid  temples  and 
palaces  from  which  the  ambitious  Spaniard,  Cortez,  in 
1 521,  drove  Montezuma  and  put  an  end  to  Aztec  rule 
in  Mexico. 

Iceland,  whose  eternal  glaciers  stand  sheer  and  cold, 
was  the  next  part  of  America  discovered,  (if  this 
dependency  of  Denmark  can  be  called  a  part  of 
America.)  This  event  dates  from  the  year  860,  when 
the  Norwegian  pirate,  Naddodr,  was  wrecked  upon  its 
shores.  In  874  a  colony  of  Naddodr's  countrymen^ 
seeking  refuge  from  die  tyranny  of  Harfager,  founded 
a  colony  and  established  a  republican  government  in 
these  inhospitable  regions ;  and  with  the  introduction 
of  Chrisdanity  in  the  year  1000,  and  the  art  of  wridng 
in  1057,  the  foundation  of  modern  civilizadon  was  laid 
in  the  western  world. 

^  Greenland,  discovered  and  setded  about  the  same 
time  as  Iceland,  had  entered  upon  a  career  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  little  doubt  exists  but  that  the  Northmen,  in 
making  their  voyages  from  Norway  to  Iceland   and 


'    (:' 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  PACIFIC. 


35 


ing 
akl 


Greenland,  had  frequently  touched  along  the  coast  of 
New  England ;  but  these  early  northern  colonies,  after 
existing  for  four  centuries,  passed  away,  and,  from  1404 
until  1576,  had  almost  gone  from  the  memory  of  man 
and  had  to  be  rediscovered  in  1721. 

America  still  slumbered  until  1492,  when  Columbus 
brought  the  new  world  into  the  family  of  nations.     The  . 
newly  discovered  continent  awaited  a  name,  which  the 
voyage  of  the  ambitious  Amerigo  Vespucci,  in  1499, 
furnished,  he  giving  it  his  own  Christian  name. 

Cabot,  at  Newfoundland,  in  1497,  and  Columbus' 
voyages,  were  drawing  attention  to  the  Atlantic  side  of 
the  continent.  Alvarez  de  Gabral  had  made  known 
his  discovery  of  Brazil  in  1501,  but  the  waters  of  the 
great  ocean  west  of  x^merica  had  not  yet  been  seen  by 
European  eye ;  this  was  reserved  for  the  Spanish 
adventurer,  Balboa,  who,  in  15 13,  after  making  a  jour- 
ney into  the  interior  of  Darien,  (Colombia,)  was  led  to 
a  high  mountain  by  the  natives,  from  a  peak  of  which 
he  first  beheld  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  Clad 
in  an  armor  of  mail,  with  die  royal  flag  of  Spain,  upon 
which  was  emblazoned  Mary  and  the  mfant  Jesus  in 
her  arms,  and  the  crown  of  his  sovereign,  he  waded 
deep  into  the  water  and  exclaimed  to  his  soldiers  and 
followers,  "  Spectators  of  both  hemispheres,  I  call  you  to 
ivitness  that  I  take  possession  of  this  part  of  the  universe 
for  the  croivn  of  Castile.  My  siuord  shall  defend  what 
my  arm  hath  given  to  ity 

Simultaneously  with  the  entry  of  Cortez  into  Mexico 
in  1 519,  the  Portuguese  navigator,  Magellan,  then  in 
the  employ  of  the  Spanish  government,  effected  an 
entrance  into  the  Pacific  ocean  through  the  straits  now 
bearing  his  name.     To  this  gallant  navigator  (slain  at 


lil: 

t 


26  TJ/£    GOLDEN   STATE. 

the   Philippines,   in   1520)  are  we   indebted  for   the 
appropriate  name  of  this  vast  ocean — Pacific. 

Other  navigators  and  explorers  came.  Cortez,  hav- 
ing conquered  Mexico,  pushed  westward  to  the  Gulf  of 
California  in  1 534,  and,  from  that  period  up  to  1540, 
the  date  of  his  final  departure  to  Spain,  had  made 
several  expeditions  in  the  vicinity  of  Lower  California. 
In  1535,  Pizarro  was  assorting  Spanish  domination  in 
Peru.  The  year  1542  found  Cabrillo  exploring  the 
coast  of  California  as  far  north  as  Cape  Mendocino. 
Francis  Drake,  in  1579,  was  buffeting  the  north  winds 
of  the  Pacific,  and  erecting  the  flag  of  monarchical 
England  upon  the  shorea  of  California ;  and  1 602  found 
the  Spanish  navigator,  Viscayno,  exploring  the  lower 
coast  of  California  and  seeking  shelter  in  the  harbors 
of  San  Diego  and  Monterey.  The  first  colonization 
of  what  is  now  the  Republic  of  America  was  effected 
in  Virginia,  in  1607;  and  1620  witnessed  the  Pilgrims 
landing  on  the  shores  of  New  England. 

Lemaire  and  Schouten,  the  Dutch  navigators,  in 
1 61 5,  had  discovered  Cape  Horn.  The  Danish  navi- 
gator, Behring,  in  the  service  of  Russia,  had,  in  1727, 
discovered  the  passage  between  the  continents  of 
Europe  and  America,  giving  it  his  own  name,  and 
traversed  the  lonely  shores  of  Alaska.  The  year  1764 
found  the  English  explorers,  Willis  and  Carteret,  navi- 
gating the  North  Pacific  and  establishing  English  do- 
minion on  the  Pacific  side  of  British  Columbia.  The 
famous  Captain  Cook  had  made  his  first  voyage  to  the 
Pacific  in  1768.  The  cross  of  the  Jesuit  fathers  was 
first  carried  into  California  and  planted  at  San  Diego 
in  1769.  The  English  navigator,  Vancouver,  in  1770, 
was  exploring  the  Straits  of  Fuca  and  the  island  now 


JESUITS   OCCUPY  CALIFORNIA. 


Zl 


called  after  its  discoverer.  Kenguelen,  the  French 
navigator,  in  1772,  was  sailing  in  the  waters  of  the 
North  Pacific. 

During  all  these  eventful  years,  while,  from  Iceland 
to  Patagonia  and  distant  Alaska,  America  was  being 
explored  and  settled,  up  to  July,  1769,  when  Governor 
Portala  first  beheld  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  the  vast 
region  of  California,  its  genial  climate,  rich  soil,  tower- 
ing mountains,  and  mineral  wealth,  were  all  unknown 
to  civilized  man.  No  furrow  had  been  turned  in  all 
her  broad,  rich  valleys ;  no  hand  had  touched  her 
golden  treasures;  no  keel  had  ruffled  her  placid  waters; 
and,  although  her  mighty  Golden  Gate  had  stood  ajar 
since  creation's  dawn,  the  mystic  seal  that  secluded  her 
charms  was  still  unbroken  save  by  the  wild  birds,  whose 
fleet  course  carried  them  uninterrupted  through  that 
portal  destined  to  become  one  of  the  world's  greatest 
commercial  marts. 

Man — civilized,  educated  man — had  not  yet  asserted 
his  dominion  over  this  vast  field ;  and,  within  all  this 
broad  land,  a  solitude,  quiet,  calm,  and  placid,  through 
all  the  long  months  and  years,  reigned  supreme,  broken 
only  by  the  whoop  of  the  savage  as  he  danced  to  his 
lengthening  shadow  beneath  the  tall  pine  tree. 

From  1769  to  1846,  Jesuits,  Franciscan  friars,  Span- 
ish and  Mexican  adventurers,  amidst  local  revolutions 
and  tu»*bulent  factions,  had  ruled  and  occupied  Cali- 
fornia without  effecting  a  permanent  civilization  or  in- 
dustry. Lingering  'shadows  of  Spanish  superstition, 
crumbling  walls  of  ancient  missions,  neglected  graves, 
fragments  of  church  bells  that  once,  from  the  branches  of 
sturdy  oaks,  called  the  red  man  to  the  foot  of  the  cross, 
silently  proclaimed  the  departure  of  a  once  semi-re- 


^8  THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 

llgious  condition.  Roving  brigands,  subsisting  upon  the 
semi-barbarous  inhabitants,  and  revolutionary  outbursts 
from  whose  leaders  issued  stdiVtYmg pronMiciamentos,  ex- 
hibited the  lack  of  executive  authority  in  the  country, 
and  the  rapid  decline  of  the  last  vestige  of  religious, 
social,  and  national  power  in  the  land.  To  redeem  this 
degenerate  people,  found  a  new  civilization,  nationality, 
and  freedom,  required  the  quickening  impulses  of  a 
social  and  national  existence  founded  upon  broader 
and  mcie  progressive  principles  tlian  any  yet  known 
in  the  land. 

At  this  critical  period,  when  jealous  monarchs  of 
Europe  were  turning  their  eyes  toward  the  chaos  of 
California  and  contemplating  a  new  field  for  American 
imperialism,  the  flag  of  the  American  Republic  was 
hoisted  over  the  Mexican  territorial  capitol  at  Monte- 
rey, and  California  entered  upon  a  new  era  of  advance- 
ment. But  it  required  the  opening  of  the  treasure 
vaults  of  the  Sierras  and  the  loosening  of  the  golden 
sands  of  the  Yuba  to  set  in  motion  the  long  lines  of 
pilgrims  across  vast  deserts  and  over  the  precipitous 
mountains,  and  to  spread  the  sails  of  vast  fleets  seeking 
a  channel  through  the  Golden  Gate.  It  required  the  cry 
of  Gold !  to  break  the  links  of  the  family  circle  and  leave 
in  a  wreck  behind  the  household  gods,  as  man  sought  in 
the  unfrequented  ravines  and  gulches  of  the  Sierras 
the  treasures  of  the  new  El  Dorado.  The  voice  came, 
stern  and  potent,  reaching  the  dwellings  of  civilized 
men  in  every  corner  of  the  globe ;  it  echoed  in  the  ears 
of  the  shrewd  Yankee,  muscular  Celt,  vivacious  Gaul, 
bearded  Turk,  stalwart  Polander,  grim  Russian,  and 
polite  Castilian.  It  \yas  heard  by  the  turbaned  Moslem 
in  his  harem,  the  wandering  Arab  on  his  pilgrimage  to 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD, 


39 


Mecca,  the  dreamy  sons  of  the  Flowery  Kingdom  as 
they  wandered  b)'  the  waters  of  the  Yang-tse-kiang,  or 
bent  before  Tien-tan  to  do  homage  to  their  prophet. 
The  syren  song  of  the  enchantress  was  caught  up  by 
every  kindred  of  men,  who  joined  in  the  cosmopolitan 
throng  to  seek,  by  unknown  channels,  the  shores  of  a 
land  whose  sands  of  gold  and  hidden  mountain  treas- 
ures, for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  nations,  had 
broken  the  seal  of  Oriental  exclusiveness  and  brought 
into  companionship,  in  voyages  by  sea  and  journeys  by 
land,  in  intercourse  of  business  and  trade,  the  strange 
families  of  men  whose  complexions,  costumes,  and 
tongues  startled  and  confounded  each  other. 


40 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  II. 


I 

III 


First  recorded  history — Jesuits — Missions — Cortez'  expedition- 
Exploration  of  the  Gulf  of  California — Ulloa's  expedition — 
Cortez  returns  to  Spain  —  Cabrillo's  expedition  —  Sir  Francis 
Drake's  expedition;  he  takes  possession  of  California  —  New 
Albion — San  Diego  and  Monterey  discovered — The  Golden  Gate 
not  yet  discovered — Viscayno's  voyage — Father  Tierra's  expedi- 
tion :  he  takes  possession  of  California  in  the  name  of  the  King 
of  Spain — Conversion  of  the  heathen — Father  Ugarte's  expedi- 
tion— The  Jesuits  expelled — Franciscan  missions  established — 
Father  Serra's  expedition — Dominican  friars  in  California — Voy- 
age of  the  San  Carlos  and  San  Antonio — Loss  of  the  San  Jos6. 

The  first  authentic  account  of  California  that  we 
possess  is  derived  from  the  records  and  writings  of 
the  early  Spanish  navigators.  These,  after  having  ex- 
plored and  setded  the  greater  part  of  South  and  Cen- 
tral America,  turned  their  attention  to  the  exploration 
of  the  coast  of  Lower  and  Upper  California;  until, 
however,  the  acquisition  of  the  country  by  the  Ameri- 
can government,  in  1846,  no  permanent  setriement  had 
been  made  nor  development  of  the  country  effected, 
with  the  excepdoi?  of  a  few  scattered  missions  estab- 
lished by  .the  Jesuit  priests  for  the  conversion  of  the 
native  population.  ^ 

For  more  than  three-quarters  of  a  century  previous 
to  this  period,  frequent  voyages  had  been  made  and 
expeditions  fitted  out  by  zealous  Spanish  adventurers, 
for  the  purpose  of  discovering  the  fabled  treasures  of 
California,  which  seemed  not  to  be  confined  to  silver 
and  gold,  but  also  to  diamonds  and  other  precious 
stones.  Each  expedition,  however,  failed  either  to  dis- 
cover the  golden  treasures  of  her  mountains,  or  bring 
to  light  the  splendid  harbor  of  San  Francisco. 


1 


SPANISH   SHIP   OF  THE   SEVENTEENTH   CENTURY,  OFF   THE   COAST 
OK    CALIFORNIA. 


EXPLORATIONS   OF  CORTEZ. 


41 


Cortez,  who,  in  1521,  completed  the  conquest  of 
Mexico,  mrned  his  attention  to  the  exploration  of  the 
coast  of  California.  This  he  did  under  most  unfavorable 
circumstances :  he  was  compelled  to  build  his  vessels 
of  raw  material  taken  from  the  forest,  and,  without 
chart  or  guide,  to  explore  a  coast  whose  waters  had 
hitherto  been  undisturbed  by  the  navigator's  keel.  His 
explorations  were  confined  chiefly  to  the  west  coast  of 
Mexico  and  the  Gulf  of  California.  After  many  ship- 
wrecks and  mutinies  of  the  crews,  which  rendered  his 
explorations  abortive,  the  pilot,  Ximines,  who  had  him- 
self been  a  mutineer,  landed.  In  1534,  on  the  east  side 
of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California ;  after  having  sur- 
veyed the  coast,  he  returned  with  encouraging  accounts 
of  the  land  he  had  discovered. 

Later  in  the  same  year,  Cortez  in  person,  with  four 
vessels,  left  Tehuantepec  to  explore  further  northward. 
He  reached  Lower  California  and  explored  a  portion 
of  it,  his  object  being  to  found  a  Spanish  colony ;  but 
so  great  were  the  sufferings  of  his  party,  and  so  hostile 
the  Indians,  that  he  soon  returned  to  Mexico,  leaving 
his  object  unaccomplished. 

,  Sdll  hopeful,  however,  of  making  rich  discoveries 
toward  tlie  north,  Cortez,  in  1537,  fitted  out  another 
expedition  of  three  vessels  under  the  command  of 
Francisco  de  Ulloa.  This  officer,  after  exploring  the 
Gulf  of  California,  steered  westward  round  the  Cape  of 
Lower  California,  and  proceeded  north  to  tlie  twenty- 
ninth  degree  of  latitude.  At  the  end  of  a  year's  cruise 
he  returned  to  Mexico  with  reports  of  a  wretched,. bar- 
ren, and  inhospitable  region,  much  to  the  chagrin  of 
Cortez,  whose  dreams  of  spice  islands  and  of  great 
mineral  wealth  now  began  to  fade  away.     Three  years 


42 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


\\\m 


later  Cortez  returned  to  Spain,  having  bade  adieu  to 
the  American  continent  forever. 

In  the  year  1542,  Juan  Rodriguiz  Cabrillo,  by  birth  a 
Portuguese,  but  at  this  period  in  the  service  of  Spain, 
by  directions  of  Mendoza,  Viceroy  of  Mexico,  sailed 
from  the  western  coast  of  Mexico,  on  June  27,  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  and  exploration.  He  kept  his 
course  westward  along  the  coast  of  California  tc  '  ."pc 
Mendoza,  (called  after  the  viceroy;  now  Cj:;  Men- 
docino,) and  returned  in  the  following  April  to  Nati- 
vidad,  the  place  of  departure,  without  having  gained 
much  knowledge  of  the  country. 

Francis  Drake  (afterwards  Sir  Francis  Drake)  sailed 
from  England,  in  his  good  ship  the  Golden  Hind,  to 
make  explorations  in  the  Pacific,  and,  by  right  of  dis- 
covery, add  to  the  possessions  of  his  countrymen.  He 
was  not  aware  that,  thirty  years  before,  Cabrillo  had 
discovered  and  explored  the  coast  of  California.  After 
preying  upon  the  Spanish  galleons  in  his  track,  from 
Magellan's  straits  to  Panama,  and  robbing  them  A 
their  treasure  and  precious  cargoes,  he  headed  nortr, 
along  the  California  coast.  After  having  proceeded  as 
far  north  as  the  southern  line  of  Oregon,  being  buffeted 
by  northern  gales,  he  was  driven  south,  June,  1579,  and 
sought  refuge  in  an  inlet  near  Point  Reyes,  a  short 
distance  north  of  the  Golden  Gate ;  here  he  remained 
thirty-six  days.  During  this  time  he  took  posse:  -on 
of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the  Queen  of  Eni_^in  !  1 
(Elizabeth,)  calling  it  New  Albion,  and  erected  a  mor-:- 
ment  commemorative  of  his  act;:  upon  this  was  "a 
plate  nailed  upon  a  fair  gr;:aL  po.it  whereupon  was 
engraven  her  majesty's  nanie,  the  day  and  year  of  our 
arrival  there,  with  the  free  giving  up  of  the  province 


sin  FJiANCIS  DRAKE  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


43 


and  people  into  her  majesty's  hands,  together  with  her 
highness'  picture  and  arms  in  a  piece  of  five  pence  of 
current  English  money,  under  the  plate,  where  under 
was  also  written  the  name  of  our  general."  Drake 
was  not  aware  that  the  Spaniard  had  taken  possession 
of  the  country  in  the  narie  of  his  sovereign,  and  planted 
the  cross  upon  its  shores. 

The  harbor  that  Drake  entered  was  for  many  years 
supposed  to  be  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  but  the 
strongest  evidence  seems  to  incline  against  this.  The 
harbor  in  which  he  lay  is  in  Marin  county,  a  few  miles 
north  of  the  Golden  Gate,  and  is  still  called  Drake's 
bay;  and  in  some  of  the  old  English  histories  of  his 
discoveries  the  region  of  Californ'a  is  called  "  Drake's 
land  back  of  Canada,"  and  "  New  Albion." 

After  having  lain  in  harbor  thirty-six  days,  Drake  set 
sail  for  England.  He  went  by  way  of  the  Philippine 
islands  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  thus  making  a 
complete  circuit  of  the  globe.  He  was  the  first  navigator 
that  ever  accomplished  such  a  feat,  returning  home  in 
the  same  vessel  in  which  he  commenced,  the  voyage. 

Philip  the  III,  King  of  Spain,  anxious  to  retain  the 
possession  to  which  he  was  entitlcid  by  discovery,  for- 
warded from  Madrid  to  th*^  Vicf^roy  of  Mexico  in  1596 
orders  Jo  explore  and  take  possession  of  California 
in  his  name.  In  accordance  with  this  command.  General 
Sebastian  Viscayno,  in  1 602,  sailed  from  Acapulco  with 
three  vessels.  He  pushed  his  way  against  the  prevailing 
north  winds  along  the  west  coast  of  Lower  California, 
surveying  the  ocean  and  coast  as  opportunity  presented 
itself.  On  November  10,  he  reached  as  far  north  as  the 
harbor  of  San  Diego ;  here  he  lay  at  anchor  ten  days. 
Pi  oceeding  still  north  ]\c  reached,  on  the  1 6th  of  Decern- 


44 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


|i;  'Li 


1?^  I'i 


I! 


ber,  1602,  the  Bay  of  Monterey;  this  name  he  gave  it 
in  honor  of  the  Count  de  Monterey,  Viceroy  of  Mexico. 
Viscayno  next  entered  some  small  inlet  in  the  coast  a 
little  north  of  San  Francisco,  and  one  of  his  vessels  is 
F' apposed  to  have  proceeded  as  far  north  as  the  Columbia 
But  the  splendid  Bay  of  San  F-ancisco  was  not 


ri 


ente.  by  him,  but  to  him,  as  to  all  the  other  Spanish 
navigators  and  Sir  Francis  Drake,  the  seal  of  the  Golden 
Gate  was  still  unbroken. 

After  this  voyage  of  Viscayno,  he  went  to  Spain  in 
hope  of  aid  for  the  furdier  prosecution  of  his  explorations 
in  California ;  however,  although  his  report  of  the  coun- 
try was  most  flattering,  he  did  not  receive  the  necessaiy 
encouragement,  and  his  records,  maps,  and  charts  being 
lost  or  destroyed,  all  about  the  expedition  was  forgotten ; 
and,  for  more  than  a  century  and  a  half  after  his  depart- 
ure, San  Diego  and  Monterey  were  unvisited.  The 
whole  country  seemed  to  have  passed  from  the  recollec- 
tion of  civilized  man ;  the  red  man  alone  was  supreme 
in  his  animal  life,  hunting  the  deer  and  making  his  acorn 
and  grasshopper  pie,  his  shell  money  and  flint-pointed 
arrow,  encumbered  by  neither  art  nor  fashion,  other  than 
a  few  feathers  stuck  in  his  hair  and  a  few  streaks  of 
rude  paint  upon  his  cheeks  and  body,  and  in  company 
with  his  squaw,  who,  minus  chignon,  high-heeled  boots, 
and  hoop-skirt,  wandered  in  dreamy  apathy  over  the 
rugged  mountains,  amidst  the  dense  forests,  through 
the  beautiful  valleys,  and  along  the  murmuring  streams. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1697,  we  find  Salva  Tierra, 
with  a  company  of  six  soldiers  and  three  Indians,  pitch- 
ing his  tent  at  the  Bay  of  San  Dionysio,  a  litde  south 
of  San  Bruno,  Lower  California.  Tierra  was  sent  by 
the  Society  of  Jesuits  on  a  mission  for  the  spiritual  con- 


MISSIONS  ESTABLISHED. 


45 


quest  of  California;  into  this  project  the  Viceroy  of 
Mexico  and  the  King  of  Spain  entered  with  much 
interest,  the  latter  being  anxious  to  have  the  permanent 
possession  of  a  country  of  whose  riches  much  had  been 
said  by  visitors. 

In  the  powers  granted  to  Tierra  was  added  a  com- 
mission from  the  King  of  Spain,  which  empowered  the*, 
colonists  to  enlist  soldiers  at  their  own  expense,  and 
to  appoint  officers  of  justice  in  the  new  land ;  this,  how- 
ever, to  be  without  putting  the  government  of  Spain  to 
any  expense,  or  drawing  upon  it  for  funds,  without  the 
express  orders  of  the  King:  further,  he  was  to  take 
possession  of  the  country  and  hold  it  in  the  name  of  his 
majesty.  At  Loreto,  on  the  Bay  of  San  Dionysio,  Tierra 
planted  his  garrison  and  erected  a  little  chapel ;  before 
its  door  he  placed  a  crucifix,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
King  of  Spain  took  formal  possession  of  the  country 
on  the  25th  of  October,  1697. 

The  Rev.  Father  Tierra,  having  established  his  mis- 
sion, began  his  work  of  the  conversion  of  the  heathen ; 
he  collected  them  at  his  little  chapel,  where,  after  having 
endeavored  to  instruct  them  in  the  catechism  and  prayer, 
he  fed  the  inner  man  with  small  portions  of  boiled  maizb. 
This  was  so  much  appreciated  that  when,  on  account  of 
its  scarcity,  the  pious  fathers  began  to  lessen  the  supply, 
the  new  converts  gathered  their  tribes  from  far  and 
near  and  conspired  for  the  murder  of  the  whole  mis- 
sionary band,  ten  only  in  number.  These,  however, 
successfully  withstood  the  attack  of  over  five  hundred 
savages,  and  drove  them  in  confusion  from  the  mission. 
The  continued  kindness  of  the  fathers,  and  the  fact 
that  a  state  of  war  would  deprive  them  of  their  new 
luxury,  soon  drew  the  Indians  around  the  cross ;  and 


% 


46 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


It'  I'^l 


the  missionary  work  continued  not  only  to  maintain 
its  footing  but  to  make  its  way  slowly  through  the 
peninsula. 

In  the  year  1 700,  by  the  arrival  of  Father  Ugarte 
from  Mexico,  a  new  impetus  was  added  to  the  labors 
of  the  missionaries.  He  setded  at  St.  Xavier,  Lower 
.California,  with  the  prayers  of  Mary  of  Savoy  .md 
King  Philip  of  Spain,  that  he  m.ight  be  prospered 
in  diffusing  Catholicism,  accompanying  him ;  but  most 
likely  better  sdll  than  these,  the  supplies  from  Mexico, 
furnished  by  the  indefatigable  Father  Kino,  which,  with 
the  increase  of  cattle  and  sheep  at  the  missions,  brought 
some  apparent  success  to  the  cause  of  the  cross,  to 
which  concurring  causes  we  may  also  add  the  habits  of 
indus*-ry  inculcated  by  Father  Tierra  on  the  native 
populadon. 

All  along,  from  the  first  discovery  of  the  coast,  Cali- 
fornia was  supposed  to  be  an  island,  and  on  the  maps 
and  charts  was  called  Islas  Carylinas ;  and  not  until 
Father  Kino's  expedidon  to  the  waters  of  the  Colorado 
and  across  the  Gulf  of  California,  in  1 702,  was  it  deter- 
mined that  California  was  not  an  island,  but  a  part  of 
the  mainland  of  the  American  condnent,  and  that  the 
Gulf  of  California  ended  at  the  mouth  of  the  waters  of 
the  Colorado,  leaving  the  land  lying  west  of  it  a  penin- 
sula. But  it  required  the  expedition  of  Father  Ugarte, 
in  1722,  to  fully  settle  the  question,  that  the  waters  of 
the  Colorado  and  the  Gulf  of  California  had  no  oudet 
except  between  the  mainland  of  Mexico  and  Lower 
California.  This  expedition,  made  by  the  reverend 
father  on  board  of  his  rude  craft.  The  Trmmph  of  the 
Cross,  built  on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  California  for 
this  express  purpose,  was  the  fullest  and   nost  thorouo-h 


EXPULSION  OF  THE   JESUITS. 


47 


survey  of  the  whole  gulf  and  coast  made  up  to  that 
period. 

Up  to  1 745,  repeated  massacres  by  the  Indians,  of 
the  fathers  of  the  missions,  had,  at  times,  almost  depopu- 
lated the  coast.  At  this  time  there  were  only  sixteen 
small  missions,  all  confined  to  the  barren  region  of  the 
peninsula  of  Lower  California;  still  their  beacon  lights 
and  fresh  supplies  of  provisions  to  the  famished  and 
scurvied  crews  of  the  yearly  galleon  which,  on  her 
voyage  from  the  Philippine  islands  to  Panama,  visited 
them,  was  no  small  part  of  their  usefulness. 

All  the  labors  of  piety,  and  efforts  to  utilize  the  native 
population  by  teaching  habits  of  Industry,  were  carried 
on  by  the  untiring  energy  and  zeal  of  the  Jesuit  fathers, 
at  a  large  outlay  of  labor  and  money,  together  with 
sacrifice  of  comfort :  the  money  was  received  by  dona- 
tions from  the  friends  of  the  missions  in  Spain  and 
Mexico.  But  all  the  labors  and  sacrifices  of  the  early 
fathers  were  doomed  to  destruction.  King  Charles  of 
Spain,  jealous  of  the  political  influence  of  the  Jesuit 
order  throughout  his  dominions.  In  1 767,  issued  a  decree 
expelling  the  whole  order  from  his  possessions.  This 
was  speedily  executed  both  in  Mexico  and  California: 
the  missions,  funds,  and  all  were  assigned  to  the  Fran- 
ciscan monks  of  Mexico,  and  the  Jesuits  themselves 
placed  under  their  control,  with  Father  Junipero  Serra 
as  president.  Serra,  on  the  ist  day  of  Apxil,  1768, 
entered  Loreto,  the  capital  of  the  missions  on  the  penin- 
sula, and  took  formal  possession. 

Under  the  leadership  of  the  energetic  Father  Serra, 
new  life  was  Infused  into  the  missionary  establishments 
on  the  peninsula.  But  soon  another  religious  Romish 
order — that  of  the  Dominican  friars — was  granted  power 


48  THt    GOLDEN  STATE. 

by  the  King  of  Spain  to  enter  the  missionary  field  at 
the  missions  already  established ;  sooner,  however,  than 
make  a  division  of  the  labor  with  a  rival  organization, 
the  Franciscans  abandoned  the  entire  field  of  the  penin- 
sula of  Lower  California,  and  started  westward  to  found 
new  missions  and  introduce  civilization  into  Upper 
California. 

The  expedition,  under  the  new  order  of  things,  made 
ample  preparations  for  a  permanent  settlement.  Com- 
panies of  soldiers,  with  muleteers,  herds,  and  flocks,  were 
to  proceed  overland  from  Lower  California,  whilst  two 
vessels,  equipped  and  provisioned,  were  to  proceed  by 
sea  as  far  north  at  least  as  San  Diego. 

About  this  time  a  new  order  was  received  in  Mexico 
^  by  the  Vicar-general,  from  the  King  of  Spain,  to  make 
a  setdement  at  San  Diego,  and  possess  and  hold  the 
country.  On  this  new  enterprise,  headed  by  Father 
Junipero  Serra,  the  San  Carlos,  the  first  of  the  two  ves- 
sels, commanded  by  Don  Vicente  Vilal,  with  sixty-two 
persons  on  board,  sailed  from  Cape  St.  Lucas,  Lower 
California,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1 769,  for  San  Diego. 
She  was  followed,  on  the  15  th  of  the  same  month,  by 
the  San  Antonio,  commanded  by  Don  Juan  Perez ;  and, 
on  the  1 6th  of  June,  the  San  Jose  sailed  from  Loreto. 
After  nearly  a  four  months  voyage,  the  San  Carlos,  on 
the  1st  day  of  May,  arrived  at  San  Diego ;  on  the  nth 
day  of  April  following,  the  San  Antottio  arrived  at  the 
same  port,  after  a  most  perilous  voyage  and  the  loss  of 
several  of  the  crew  by  scurvy ;  but  the  ill-fated  San 
Josi,  after  leaving  Loreto,  was  never  heard  of. 


THE  GOLDEN   GATE   AND   13AY   OK   SAN    FRANCISCO,   1 769. 
(City  of  San  Francisco  built  where  the  Deer  are,) 


MONTGOMERY   STREET,  SAN    FRANCISCO,  1849. 


i 


111  < 


'.***'" 


DON  FORTALA'S  EXPEDITION, 


49 


CHAPTER  III. 


Don  Portala's  expedition — First  settlement  established — Father 
Serra  at  San  Diego — First  chapel  built — Discovery  of  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco — Founding  of  missions — San  Carlos  the  first  vessel 
tliat  entered  the  Golden  Gate — Native  civilization — Spain  and 
the  Franciscan  fathers — Wealth  of  the  missions — Independence  of 
Mexico — Government  of  California — Manumission  of  the  Indians 
— Property  of  the  missions  confiscated — Departure  of  the  fathers. 

Don  Caspar  Portala,  Governor  of  Lower  California 
in  1 769,  took  command  of  one  division  of  the  overland 
expedition.  This  was  intended  to  proceed  from  Lower 
California,  advance  northward  as  far  as  practicable, 
plant  the  cross,  and  establish  the  dominion  of  his  majesty, 
the  King  of  Spain.  A  second  division  was  headed  by 
Don  Fernando  Riveray  Moncada.  Father  Crespi  was 
in  this  division,  which  was  composed  of  soldiers,  mule- 
teers, and  Indians.  These  had  with  them  two  hundred 
head  of  cattle,  and  a  number  of  horses  and  mules.  On 
the  24th  of  March,  1769,  they  started  from  Villacata, 
Lower  California;  and,  on  the  14th  day  of  May  following, 
arrived  at  San  Diego,  where  they,  or  ihe  ist  day  of 
July,  1769,  established  the  first  white  settlement  and 
mission  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  California. 

In  May,  1769,  Governor  Portala,  with  Father  Juni- 
pero  Serra  and  the  second  division  of  the  overland 
expedition,  left  Lower  California,  and,  after  a  journey 
of  forty-six  days,  at  the  head  of  his  expedition,  arrived 
at  San  Diego  on  the  ist  day  of  July,  1769  Great 
rejoicings  and  demonstrations  ensued ;  the  vessels  dis- 
charged their  guns,  the  soldiers  their  muskets,  to  cele- 
brate the  final  meeting  of  the  four  divisions  of  this  first 


50 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


expedition  to  permanently  plant  white  settlements  and 
establish  civilization  in  Upper  California.  In  a  few  days 
a  mission  was  founded,  a  cross  planted,  a  chapel  built, 
a  priest  selected  to  preside,  a  patron  saint  named,  the 
ground  blessed  and  sprinkled  with  holy  water,  and 
every  thing  was  made  ready  for  the  conversion  of  the 
heathen. 

On  the  14th  day  of  July,  1769,  Governor  Portala 
started  with  a  new  expedition  from  San  Diego  to  dis- 
cover the  Bay  of  Monterey  and  establish  a  mission. 
Priests,  soldiers,  muleteers,  and  Indians — in  all  sixty- 
five — with  provisions  and  pack-trains,  set  out  heir 
northward  journey.  At  Monterey  they  haltea  and 
planted  a  cross,  but,  not  satisfied  that  it  was  the  place 
of  which  they  were  in  search,  they  proceeded  still 
northward;  and,  on  the  25th  of  October,  1769,  came 
in  sight  of  the  sand-hills  of  the  peninsula  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, with  its  beautiful  bay  stretching  north  and  south 
a  hundred  miles,  landlocked  upon  all  sides  save  at  the 
narrow  entrance  of  the  Golden  Gate  on  the  west.  This 
is  one  of  the  finest  harbors  in  the  world,  being  sur- 
passed only  by  that  most  beautiful  sheet  of  water  and 
harbor  In  Washington  Territory,  Puget  sound. 

To  Governor  Gaspar  De  Portala,  then,  must  be 
awarded  the  honor  of  the  discovery  of  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco  and  not  to  Sir  Francis  Drake:  he,  as  we 
know  from  the  best  authorit)',  never  saw  it;  neither 
can  it  be  assigned  to  Father  Junipero  Serra,  who,  with 
other  missionaries,  remained  at  San  Diego  during  Port- 
ala's  journey  to  San  Francisco.  Six  years  elapsed,  after 
Porta'a's  discovery,  before  Serra  first  beheld  the  Bay 
of  San  Francisco.  This  fact  Is  well  established  by  the 
writings  of  Father  Palou,  who  kept  the  records  of  the 


BAY  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  DISCOVERED. 


51 


missions  at  this  period.  Nor  can  the  honor  of  its  dis- 
covery be  awarded  to  Friar  Juan  Crispi,  who  accompa- 
nied Portala.  Portala  named  the  harbor,  after  the 
founder  of  his  monastic  order,  (Saint  Francis,)  San 
Francisco. 

In  about  six  months  after  Portala's  discovery  of  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco,  he  and  his  party  returned  to  San 
Diego.  A  mission  was  not  founded  at  San  Francisco 
for  more  than  six  years  after.  Father  Portala  having 
returned  to  Mexico,  Father  Junipero  Serra  was  com- 
missioned president  of  all  iiie  missions  in  Upper  Cal- 
ifornia. Under  his  directions,  the  missions  at  San 
Francisco  were  founded  by  Friars  Francisco  Palou  and 
Bonlto  Cambou  on  the  9th  day  of  October,  1776. 
Father  Junipero  Serra  did  not,  as  some  have  written, 
found  the  missions  at  San  Francisco.  Once  only  dur- 
ing his  stay  in  California  did  he  visit  San  Francisco ; 
the  period  of  his  stay  was  short,  extending  from  the 
1st  to  the  loth  of  October,  1777. 

Two  years  previous  to  this,  in  so  far  as  is  positively 
known,  no  keel  of  a  vessel  had  ever  ruffled  the  waters 
of  the  Golden  Gate.  This  honor  was  reserved  for  the 
San  Carlos.  This  ship,  in  June,  1775,  entered  the 
spacious  harbor  and  explored  the  bay  in  all  directions. 
She  had  been  despatched  from  the  lower  country  for  the 
purpose  of  exploring  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  which 
had  been  discovered  by  land,  and  also  for  the  purpose 
of  seeing  if  it  could  be  entered  by  the  mouth  or  chan- 
nel which  Portala  declared  he  had  discovered  on  his 
visit  in  1 769. 

The  party  which  had  founded  the  missions  at  San 
Francisco  left  Monterey  (where  a  mission  had  been 
founded  on  the  3d  of  June,  1770)  for  that  purpose 


5^ 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


ii 


on  the  17th  of  June,  1776;  and,  travelling  overland, 
reached  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  on  the  27th  of  the 
same  month,  and  founded  the  missions  as  a' ready 
stated. 

With  increasing  supplies  of  provisions,  ^eeds,  cattle, 
horses,  and  sheep,  the  missionary  fathers  entered  upon 
the  holy  work  of  the  red  man's  conversion.  This  was 
the  sixth  mission,  up  to  this  period,  founded  in  Cali- 
fornia. From  this  time  until  the  year  1800 — ^a  period 
of  twenty-four  years — the  fathers  labored  with  great 
zeal  and  industry,  and  were  able  to  report  eighteen 
missions  established  and  647  savages  converted  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity :  how  far,  is  not  stated.  With  a 
stock  on  hand  of  7,080  neat  catde,  6,238  sheep,  1,000 
horses,  and  more  than  5,000  bushels  of  grain  raised 
per  annum,  matters  seemed  prosperous. 

In  the  year  1802,  the  eighteen  missions  had  an  aggre- 
gate population  of  15,562 — 7,945  m^les  and  7,617  fe- 
males. This  of  course  included  (besides  the  priests, 
soldiers,  and  Spanish)  the  Indians  attendant  at  the 
churches,  and  supposed  to  be  civilized.  These  mis- 
sions were  at  the  following  places,  and  founded  at  the 
subjoined  dates,  and  in  the  order  following:  San  Diego, 
July  16,  1769;  San  Carlos  de  Monterey,  June  3,  1770; 
San  Antonia  de  Padua,  July  14,  1771 ;  San  Gabriel, 
September  8,  1771  ;  San  Louis  Obispo,  September  i, 
1772  ;  San  Francisco,  October  9,  1776 ;  San  Juan  Capis- 
trano,  November  i,  1776;  Santa  Clara,  January  18, 
1.777  ;  San  Buenaventura,  March  31,  1782  ;  Santa  Bar- 
bara, December  4,  1786;  La  Purisima  Concepcion, 
December  8,  1787;  Santa  Cruz,  August  28,  1791; 
Soledad,  October  9,  1791;  San  Jos6,  June  11,  1797; 
San  Juan  Eautista,  June  24,  7797;  San  Miguel,  July 


_*L^. 


^*^:s!=^ 


■Ji'v 


MISSIOIM    OF  SANTA   BARBARA,  CALIFORNIA,  FOUNDED    IN    1 786. 


FATHER   GARZES  AND  THE   INDIANS   IN   CALIFORNIA,  IM    1775. 


FOUNDING   OF  JESUIT  MISSIONS. 


53 


25. 1797  ;  San  Fernando  Rey,  September  8,  1797 ;  San 
Louis  Rey  de  Francia,  June  1 3,  1 798 ;  San  Inez,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1804;  San  Rafael,  December  14,  181 9;  and 
San  Francisco  de  Solano,  August  25,  1823:  making  in 
all  twenty-one,  up  to  the  year  1823. 

For  the  protection  of  the  missions,  military  posts  or 
presidic>s  were  established :  one  at  each  of  the  following 
places :  San  Diego,  Monterey,  Santa  Barbara,  and  San 
Francisco.  These  enclosures  were  surrounded  by 
adobe  walls,  nearly  twelve  feet  in  height,  with  chapel, 
officers'  quarters,  barracks,  store-houses,  &c.  Little 
encouragement  was  given  to  colonization,  and  the 
priests  watched  officers  and  soldiers,  none  of  whom 
were  allowed  to  marry  without  a  license  from  the  King 
of  Spain,  which  the  fathers  took  good  care  was  not  too 
often  granted.  With  the  fathers  the  Indians  seemed 
to  be  the  great  centre  oi  irtion :  they  were  a  race 

who  submitted  unreserveaiy  to  their  spiritual  rmd 
temporal  domination.  They  were  good  blacK smiths, 
farmers,  tanners,  weavers,  soap-makers,  hercuTs  of 
flocks,  and  tillers  of  the  soil;  and,  under  the  leader  hip 
of  their  masters,  had  raised  the  missions  to  positions 
of  importance,  and  the  fathers  themselves  to  opulence 
and  power. 

Whilst  the  fathers  discouraged  by  all  m'^-^.ns  the 
immigration  of  white  settlers  into  California,  and  pro- 
hibited those  under  their  control  from  marrying,  they 
most  anxiously  desired  to  cultivate  amicable  and  even 
conjugal  relations  between  the  Spaniards  and  Indians. 
As  evidence  of  this  we  find  that  the  first  grant  of  land 
made  in  California  was  to  Manuel  Burton,  a  Spanish 
soldier,  on  November  27,  1775,  for  leading  to  the  altar 
as  his  wife  a  native  convert  woman. 


jgl.   COLDEN  STATE. 

**  •       ,„d  teachings  of  the  fathers 

But  all  the  P--ecaut.ons  aBd  t^cl^  ^S^.^^^^.^^  ^^^^ 

ivere  unavailing  to  raise  in  ^    ^j^te  of  ambition, 

the  docile,  half-idiouc  w-^'  wj"' f  ,  ,,pp,y  of  food  to 
hoped  or  thought  of  n°^'»f  ^^°,  ^  J,  as  the  influ- 
fiU  his  ever-cravmg  ='"'  ^^^  ^^.^er  were  withdrawn, 
ence,  care,  and  pro  ection  of  »'=  m  ^j,^  ^^.n. 

he  rdapsed  into  his  -^"^^^^  scour  the  shores 
field  and  tlje  loom,  ^"^^^^"  himself,  or  to  roam 
l;f^^d^;:!-o7ru;L?ornsand  grasshopper 

-conflicts  and  f-^^:^:^^ 
^liury  commanders  othe^pres^^ 
,oy  of  Mexico  to  define  ^;r  p  ^^^  ^^^^^^^    ^ 

fates,  however,  seemed  to  haxe  a  __^j  ^j^^ 

the  missions,  which  --P'f  jf^/Xe^  f™"  *^'^ 
world,  and  whose  rulers   havmg  re   P  ^^^^j. 

e:u:s:u;:3o;:nV:path^-artM^ 

the  vast  region  of  the  A™^"'^^'"^      ^;       became  jeal- 

lan's  straits  to  the  Coj-^^^;^  J'^^^e  missions,  and 
ous  of  the  power  and  influence  ot 

determined  on  their  ="PP^^=^'°"-.      ^  ^^^r  California, 
r  tl,P  Und     With  the  increase  of  tlocks  cnu 

docile  in  temper,  niechamcal  ^'^  ^^^^''l  „ther 

in  .eal;  and  in  thoir  case,  -  ^  *^^;^r;,a  wine, 
mortals  eood  dinners,  well  washed  down  witn 

Tended  to  abate  the  fervor  of  their  devotion,  and  led 


END   OF  SPANISH  RULE  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


55 


the'V  thoughts  and  actions  toward  the  precious  metals 
and  gross  things  of  earth.  Accordingly  we  find  that 
they,  in  1835,  shortly  before  their  abandonment  of  the 
country,  raised  large  crops  of  wheat,  maize,  barley, 
beans,  grapes,  and  other  products,  amounting  to  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum ;  this,  too, 
at  the  very  low  prices  of  those  times.  We  find  them  also 
in  the  possession  of  216,727  horned  cattle,  32,201  horses, 
2,844  niules,  177  asses,  153,455  sheep,  1,873  goats,  and 
839  swine,  indeed,  one  of  the  fathers,  Louis  Martinez, 
is  said  to  have  taken  to  Spain  with  him  when  he  left  the 
country  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in 
treasure.  Even  all  this  wealth  is  supposed  to  be  less 
than  half  of  what  the  fathers  possessed  about  the  year 
1822,  before  the  Mexican  authorities  attempted  to  con- 
fiscate their  property.  The  fostering  care  of  the  Span- 
ish government  and  the  Viceroy  of  Mexico,  together 
with  the  contributions  of  the  friends  of  religion,  had 
lent  character  and  power  to  the  missions  of  California, 
and  had  swelled  "  the  pious  fund  of  Calif or^iia "  to 
respectable  proportions. 

But  all  this  power,  splendor,  and  missionary  labor 
were  dashed  to  the  groun^^  by  the  fall  of  Spanish  rule  in 
Mexico ;  for,  on  the  achievement  of  the  independence  of 
Mexico,  in  1822,  radical  changes  were  wrought,  both  in 
the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs  of  the  country.  The 
new  empire  not  only  laid  claim  to  that  vast  territory' 
then  known  as  Mexico,  but  also  to  that  limitless  and 
undefined  country  so  long  claimed  and  partly  settled 
by  Spanish  adventure — California.  When  Mexico  be- 
came a  republic,  in  1824,  this  whole  country  was  erected 
into  a   Mexican  Territor)',  with  a   representative   in 


56 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


Congress,  and  military  commandant  at  Monterey,  the 
capital.    The  powers  of  the  Franciscan  fathers  in  Cali- 
fornia were  soon  curtailed  by  the  Mexican  Congress. 
In  1826,  that  body  proclaimed  the  manumission  of  all 
the  civilized  Indians  in  California,  with  a  division  of  the 
country  into  parishes,  and  allotments  of  land  for  the 
Indians.    This  measure,  together  with  a  failure  on  the 
part  of  Mexico  to  pay  the  allowances  of  the  fathers, 
and  the  decline  of  the  '' pimis fund  of  Calif orrda','  caused 
missionary  labors  to  decline.     The  Indians   relapsed 
into  their  former  barbarism,  squandered  their  means, 
and    became  nude   savages.     The  political   party  in 
power  in  the  early  part  of  1833  passed  laws  confiscat- 
ing the  lands  and  property  of  the  missions.     These 
were  subsequently  revoked  by  Santa  Anna,  who  came 
into  power  in  the  same  year.     By  the  sad  and  fluctu- 
ating changes  of  administration  in  Mexico  down  to  the 
year  1845,  ^'^  missions  and  fathers  were  embarrassed 
and  harassed  by  acts  of  confiscation  and  abridgment 
of  powers.     In  1 845  came  the  final  blow :  many  of  the 
missions  were  sold  at  auction ;  others  were  rented,  the 
rents  to  be  divided  into  three  funds — one-third  to  go  to 
the  missionaries,  a  third  to  a  pious  fund  of  California 
for  charitable  and  educational  purposes,  and  a  third  to 
the  support  of  the  civilized  Indians.     The  fathers  re- 
turned either  to  Mexico  or  Spain ;  and,  in  a  brief  period 
from  this,  the  once  powerful  missions  of  California, 
their  pious  priests  and  praying  Indians,  were  known 
only  as  things  of  the  past ;  and  to-day  no  trace  of  their 
'brmer  presence  is  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  land,  except 
ai:  occasional  dilapidated  and  crumbling  adobe  wall,  the 
fragments  of  some  cathedral  bell,  the  declining  cross  as 


END   OF  MISSIONS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


57 


It  droops  in  melancholy  solitude  in  the  ni'dst  of  the 
buried  dead,  whose  history,  like  their  mortal  remains, 
is  wrapped  in  its  narrow  grave  beneath  the  rank  grass 
and  wild  brier. 

California,  under  tne  absolute  rule  of  Spain  for  fifty 
years  and  under  the  rule  of  Mexico  for  twenty-four 
years,  made  but  little  progress  either  in  material,  social, 
or  moral  development;  and,  at  the  time  when  it  fell 
into  the  possession  of  the  United  States,  was  almost  as 
unknown,  uninhabited,  and  ur  developed  as  it  was  when 
Cortez  first  attempted  its  exploration  in  the  sixteenth 
century. 


5S 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


flag  hoisted  at  Mon- 
Yankee  i»  "7**?!"%  State-Vallejo  ™'''^„^,„  zed-Graham 

^rofs:??lss^enf^^ornr«^^^^^^  . 

beneral-in-chief-Bamsn  ^^n^ent  in  Mexico 

W„„  the  dawn  of  -P^^rJc    Sorn.a.    The 

ritory,  so  that,  simultaneously  ^j^^.  ^  missions, 

SV°?of'hTru:::^^£  Mexican  .^^^^ 

d^s  consisted  chiefly  of  ^f  ^™|  vmg  seamen  who 

£ut  the  ports  and^^^til  "ffchfd  at  the  ports 

left  the  ships  which  o  casm      y      ^^^.^^^  ""l^*^"' u 

along  the  coast  ^nd  o  ;"«  ^^^^  .^„  ,,3  -?f  ,1^^ 

This  portion  of  the  new  It-  ^j^  settlers 

a  jealous  eye  by  '^.^tfrrTsed  the  special  attention 
The  class.  l-wever,w^d^engige^^^^^    ^^^^^^^.^„ 


RUSSIAN  COLONY  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


59 


tranquil  nor  entirely  unknown  previous  to  this  period. 
Repeated  outbreaks  among  the  native  and  inimigiant 
population  kept  pace  with  the  ever  turbulent  state  of 
affairs  in  Mexico ;  and,  besides,  many  foreign  nations 
had  longed  for  her  possession.  France  had  an  eye 
upon  this  distant  land,  and,  regardless  of  the  claims  of 
Spain  or  the  assumption  of  England,  despatched,  in 
1 841,  from  the  French  legation  in  Mexico,  M.  Duflot  de 
Mofras,  a  scientific  and  accomplished  gentleman,  to 
make  explorations  in  California.  For  two  years  De 
Mofras  having  occupied  himself  in  the  work  of  investi- 
gation, sent  to  his  government  a  detailed  account  of 
the  country,  the  Bay  of  San  I^rancisco,  the  political  con- 
dition of  California,  the  designs  of  Europe  and  the 
United  States  upon  it,  and  concluded  it  with  the  follow- 
ing statement,  "  That  it  is  perfectly  clear  that  California 
will  belong  to  whatsoever  nation  will  take  the  trouble 
to  send  there  a  ship  of  war  and  two  hundred  soldiers." 
For  a  brief  period  the  Russians  had  a  feeble  foothold 
in  California ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  ever  had  any 
intention  to  subjugate  it  or  permanently  settle  in  it. 
Those  who  came  to  it  came  to  supply  with  agricultural 
products  the  Russian  American  Fur  Company  in  the 
cold  regions  of  the  northwest.  In  1 8 1 2,  they  established 
themselves  at  Bodega  bay,  in  Sonoma  county,  about  sixty 
miles  north  of  San  Francisco.  A  few  years  later,  they 
established  another  small  settlement  thirty  miles  north 
of  Bodega,  at  a  place  called  Ross.  At  these  places  they 
kept  up  small  establishments  and  forts,  to  protect  them- 
selves both  from  the  Spanish  settlers  and  the  Indians. 
The  former  always  manifested  the  greatest  jealousy  and 
dislike  toward  them.  After  an  occupation  of  thirty 
years,  they,  in  1841,  sold  their  property  and  left  the 


60 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


country.  Of  Russians  there  were  about  eight  hundred, 
and  a  large  number  of  Kodiak  Indians ;  all  of  whom 
sought  their  homes  in  the  far-off  northern  climes,  turn- 
ing their  backs  on  the  sunny  land  where  they  had 
trapped  the  beaver  and  the  otter,  and  worshipped  before 
the  cross  of  the  rude  Greek  church. 

About  the  year  1836,  jealousies  springing  up  between 
the  Mexican  authorities  in  the  territory,  the  monotony 
of  affairs  was  disturbed,  and  occasionally  a  revolution 
broke  out.  A  sef ious  misunderstanding  had  existed 
between  Angel  Ramirez,  a  Mexican,  and  chief  official 
of  customs,  and  Juan  Bautista  Alvarado,  second  officer, 
and  a  native  of  California  of  Spanish  descent.  Alva- 
rado's  arrest  being  ordered  by  Ramirez,  he  fled,  and 
found  refuge  in  the  cabin  of  Isaac  Graham,  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Santa  Cruz.  Graham  had  many  years  previously 
wandered  across  the  Rocky  mountains  as  a  trapper,  and 
had  pitched  his  tent  here.  He  was  a  Yankee — at  least 
an  American,  from  the  State  of  Tennessee ;  and,  being 
ripe  for  adventure,  on  hearing  of  Alvarado's  wrongs, 
in  conjunction  with  him  he  concocted  a  scheme  for  the 
overthrow  of  Mexican  authority  in  California,  and  the 
proclaiming  of  California  a  free  and  independent  State. 
In  a  few  days,  Graham,  at  the  head  of  a  force  of  fifty 
riflemen,  and  Alvarado  and  Jose  Castro,  with  one  hun- 
dred native  Californians,  started  upon  their  mission, 
supplied  with  ammunition  from  American  vessels  on 
the  coast.  They  by  night  entered  Monterey,  the  capital 
of  the  Territory,  seized  and  made  prisoner  the  Governor, 
Nicolas  Gutierrez,  and  with  him  two  or  three  hundred  sol- 
diers. Gutierrez  at  first  made  some  show  of  resistance; 
but  the  crash  through  the  roof  of  the  presidio  building 
of  a  four-pound  shot  soon  brought  him  to  his  senses. 


REVOLUTIONS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


6i 


He  surrendered  what  he  could  no  longer  keep.  This 
was,  indeed,  the  only  shot  fired  during  the  revolution. 

Alvarado  and  Castro  were  now  in  undisturbed  pos- 
session of  the  capital.  California  was  declared  a  free 
and  independent  State,  with  Alvarado  at  the  head  of 
civil  and  Guadalupe  Vallejo  at  the  head  of  military- 
affairs.  The  Mexican  Governor,  Gutierrez,  with  all  the 
Mexican  officers  and  soldiers  in  California,  was  banished, 
a  republican  government  established,  and  the  Catholic 
religion  secured  by  prohibiting  the  exercise  of  any  other 
form  of  worship. 

Alvarado,  after  meeting  with  some  opposition  to  his 
rule  from  a  portion  of  the  native  Californians,  was 
recognized,  and  appointed  Governor  of  California,  by 
the  Mexican  government ;  and  California  having  again 
submitted  to  Mexican  rule,  was  divided  into  two  dis- 
tricts with  territorial  governments,  Senor  Pefia  being 
prefect  of  the  south  and  Jose  Castro  of  the  north. 
Alvarado  held  his  position  as  governor  until  1842. 

Graham  and  the  other  foreigners  who  had  assisted 
in  elevating  Alvarado  to  power,  having  by  this  time 
become  obnoxious  to  him,  were  arrested  and  sent  as 
prisoners,  some  to  Monterey  and  Santa  Barbara,  and 
the  most  dangerous  to  Mexico.  This  event  was  cele- 
brated by  a  solemn  mass  and  great  rejoicings,  the 
prospect  of  being  rid  of  the  adventurous  foreigners  and 
the  dangerous  Yankees  being  so  encouraging.  But 
Alvarado's  treachery  in  this  matter  failed  to  accomplish 
its  object;  for,  in  July,  1842,  the  exiles  returned  to 
Monterey  on  board  of  a  Mexican  vessel,  at  government 
expense.  For  this  they  were  indebted  to  the  kind  and 
noble  efforts  of  the  English  consul  and  other  foreign 
dignitaries  in  Mexico. 


62 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


Dissensions  were  now  rife  between  the  civil  and 
military  authorities  in  California,  and  in  August,  1 842, 
General  Manuel  Micheltorena  arrived  at  San  Diego 
from  Mexico,  with  full  powers  from  the  gov  -jrnment  to 
supersede  Vallejo  in  the  military  and  Alvarado  in  the 
civil  affairs  of  California.  Micheltorena  was  received 
by  the  people  with  great  rejoicing:  bull-fights,  fandan- 
gos, and  other  entertainments  attested  the  joy  of  the 
populace.  But,  in  the  midst  of  their  festivities,  all  was 
brought  to  a  standstill :  the  irrepressible  Yankee  had 
entered  upon  a  new  role  in  California.  Commodore 
Jones,  of  the  United  States  navy,  having  been  hovering 
about  the  coast  of  California,  learned  in  some  way  that 
difficulties  existed  between  the  United  States  and 
Mexico  with  reference  to  Texas,  which  difficulties  were 
likely  to  lead  to  the  annexation  of  Texas  and  California, 
if  not  of  Mexico  itself.  The  gallant  commodore,  believ- 
ing that  it  was  the  desire  of  his  government,  with  the 
United  States  frigate  United  States  an<i  sloop-of-war 
Cyane,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1842,  entered  the  port  , 
of  Monterey,  hoisted  the  stars  and  stripes,  took  posses- 
sion of  the  capitol,  and  proclaimed  California  a  part  of 
the  American  republic.  Alvarado,  who  had  not  yet 
been  displaced  by  Micheltorena,  surrendered  to  Jones 
on  the  following  day.  Jones'  authority,  however,  was 
brief;  for,  on  the  day  after  the  surrender,  having  had 
information  which  led  him  to  believe  that  his  acts  were 
premature,  and  not  in  conformity  with  the  wishes  of 
his  government,  he  hauled  down  his  banners  and  quietly 
departed,  having  offered  apologies  for  his  intrusion. 
The  new  commandant,  General  Micheltorena,  thereupon 
entered  upon  his  duties  unopposed. 

But  difficulties  were  not  yet  ended.     General  Vallejo , 


END    OF  MEXICIN  RULE  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


63 


and  Governor  Alvarado  being  now  deposed,  having 
been  bitterest  enemies,  became  firm  friends,  and  with 
General  Castro  entered  upon  a  new  enterprise,  into 
driving  Micheltorena  out  of  the  country.  All  the  ammu- 
nition of  the  government  was  stored  at  San  Juan :  upon 
this  point  the  attention  of  the  new  revolutionists  was 
directed.  In  Novembc,  1 844,  Castro  entered  the  town, 
captured  the  mission  and  the  government  ammunition. 
The  governor  afforded  the  rebels  eight  days  grace  in 
which  to  disband  and  surrender  to  his  authority ;  but 
the  rebels,  regardless  of  this  courtesy  on  the  part  of 
Micheltorena,  marched  upon  the  capital.  The  Mexican 
military  force  in  the  territory  was  small ;  and  Michel- 
torena, fearing  defeat,  called  for  aid  from  John  A. 
Sutter,  who  had  been  a  foreign  resident  of  the  country 
ever  since  1839.  Sutter  responded,  and  with  one  hun- 
dred mounted  men,  mostly  foreigners,  hurried  to  the 
rescue.  Castro  at  the  head  of  the  rebel  band,  on  the 
2 1  St  of  July,  1845,  "^^^  the  government  forces  a  short 
distance  from  Los  Angeles,  where  an  engagement 
took  place  lasting  two  days,  resulting  in  the  killing  of 
four  persons  and  the  unconditional  surrender  of  the 
Sfovernment  forces. 

Once  more  California  was  an  independent  country. 
The  champion  of  the  conquest,  General  Castro,  was 
now  General-in-chief;  and  Pio  Pico,  Governor.  Michel- 
torena, together  with  his  officers  and  soldiers,  were 
shipped  to  San  Bias  on  board  of  an  American  vessel  ; 
and  Mexican  rule  ended  in  California,  as  the  like  fate- 
befell  the  rule  of  Pico  and  Castro,  as  will  appear  in  the 
succeeding  chapter  of  this  volume. 


■^■w 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  V. 


Early  navigators — ^Voyage  of  Sir  Francis  Dralsie — ^Voyages  of  Sebas- 
tian Viscayno  and  Vistus  Behring — Settlement  of  Sitka — King 
George's  Sound  Company — East  India  Company — Thomas 
Jefferson's  interest  in  the  Pac.fic  coast  —  Expedition  of  John 
Ledyard:  he  is  arrested  by  order  of  the  Empress  of  Russia — 
Voyage  of  Vancouver — The  King  of  Spain  forbids  Captain  Cook 
to  enter  California — First  American  vessels  on  the  Pacific  coast — 
Captain  Gray  discovers  the  Columbia  river — First  American  ves- 

^  sel  enters  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco — ^John  Brown  and  Thomas 
Raben  first  Americans  in  California  —  Trade  to  the  Columbia 
river — Count  Rosanoff  in  California — Delia  Byrd  enters  San 
Diego — Russians  evacuate  California  at  the  request  of  the  United 
States — Expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clark — First  settlement  in 
Oregon — ^John  Jacob  Astor  founds  Astoria — Fur  trade  of  Ore- 
gon— The  British  take  possession  of  Oregon — Its  restoration  to 
the  United  States — Astor's  fur  trade  in  the  Rocky  mountains — 
First  overland  journey  to  California — Arrest  of  Jedediah  Smith — ■ 
Letter  from  American  seamen  in  1826 — Letter  from  Smith  to  one 
of  the  fathers  —  Death  of  J.  S.  Smith  —  Pattie's  expedition — 
Asiatic  emigration  encouraged — First  settlers  in  California — First 
mercantile  house  in  California — Commodore  Wilkes'  expedition 
to  the  Pacific  —  Discovery  of  a  wrecked  Japanese  junk  —  Fre- 
mont's explorations  —  Sutter's  hospitality — End  of  Fremont's 
second  exploration. 

The  period  which  elapsed  from  the  first  Anglo-Saxon 
voyages  to  the  Pacific  coast  10  the  discovery  of  gold 
forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  in  our  his- 
tory. The  solitude  and  primitive  order  of  the  vast 
territory  of  Alaska,  Washington  Territory,  Oregon,  and 
California  were  unbroken,  save  by  an  occasional  adven- 
turer; and  California  was  as  little  known  to  the  world 
as  the  fabled  garden  of  Eden. 

Among  those  v/ho  broke  the  seal  of  its  primitive 
obscurity  on  our  coast  was  Sir  Francis  Drake,  who,  in 
1558,  made  a  voyage  to  California  in  the  course  of  his 
explorations   in   the  Pacific,  also  General   Sebastian 


o 
o 

c 

2! 
H 

> 

o 


11 

c 
c 

C3 

w 
o 

•—I 
c 

W 


o 


EARLY  EXPLORATIONS. 


65 


Viscayno,  who,  under  orders  of  Philip  III  of  Spain,  ex- 
plored California  in  1 803,  where  at  Point  Reyes  h^i  dis- 
covered the  wreck  of  Sebastian  Cermenon's  vessel, 
stranded  in  1595  on  her  voyage  from  Manilla  to  Aca- 
pulco ;  and  Vistus  Behring,  a  Dane,  who  was  employed 
by  Catharine  of  Russia  to  make  explorations  in  the 
North  Pacific  and  on  the  coasts  of  Asia  and  America. 

The  founding  of  Sitka,  in  1805,  by  the  Russian 
American  Fur  Company,  which  was  organized  in  1 799, 
and  the  founding  of  the  King  George's  Sound  Com- 
pany, organized  in  London  in  1 784,  with  the  object  of 
making  settlements  on  the  Pacific  coast,  aided  much  in 
developing  the  country.  Between  the  years  1784  and 
1 790  the  East  India  Company  (English)  had  despatched 
several  ships  to  this  coast.  Thomas  Jefferson,  '\cting 
United  States  minister  in  France  in  1785,  took  a  lively 
interest  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  Pacific  coast.  A 
Connecticut  Yankee,  named  John  Ledyard,  who  accom- 
panied the  famous  English  navigator.  Captain  Cook, 
on  his  last  voyage  to  the  Pacific,  conceived  the  idea  of 
exploring  the  west  coast  of  America.  After  several 
ineffectual  efforts  to  secure  aid  either  from  the  United 
States  Congress  Or  the  British  government,  he  went  to 
France  and  had  an  interview  with  Thomas  Jefferson, 
then  United  States  minister  in  that  country,  at  whose 
suggestion  he  undertook  a  journey  across  the  country 
to  Kamtschatka,  thence  by  sea  to  Nootka  sound  or 
some  other  point  on  the  west  coast  of  America,  thence 
overland  to  the  Atlantic  States.  Permission  was  ob- 
tained from  the  Empress  of  Russia  for  Ledyard  to  pass 
through  her  dominie ns.  He  proceeded  as  far  as  Ir- 
koutsk,  in  Siberia,  on  his  way  to  C)khotsk,  where  he 
designed  to  take  passage  for  the  American  continent. 


66 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE 


Here  he  was,  on  the  24th  of  February,  1 788,  arrested 
by  crder  of  the  Empress  of  Russia.  After  being  con- 
veyed to  the  frontier  of  Poland,  he  was  released,  with 
the  injunction  never  again  to  set  his  foot  upon  Russian 
territory.  Ledyard  soon  undertook  an  expedition  to 
explore  the  source  of  the  Nile ;  and  died  at  Cairo  in 
Egypt,  November  15,  1788 

The  English  navigator  Vancouver,  who  visited  the 
coast  in  1793,  anu  spent  some  time  in  the  Bay  of  Mon- 
terey, contrary  to  Spanish  custom,  at  least  on  the 
Pacific,  met  with  a  kind  reception  and  received  courte- 
ous attentions  from  the  Spanish  authorities  at  that  place. 

The  jealousy  of  the  Spanish  toward  all  foreign  inter- 
course was  manifest  upon  all  occasions.  The  Viceroy 
of  Mexico,  on  the  23d  of  October.  1776,  wrote  to  the 
Governor  of  California  as  follows:  "  That  the  king,  hav- 
ing received  intelligence  that  two  armed  vessels  had 
sailed  from  London,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Cook,  bound  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  southern 
ocean  and  the  northern  coast  of  California,  commands 
that  orders  be  given  to  the  Governor  of  California  to 
be  on  the  watch  for  Captain  Cook,  and  not  permit  him 
to  enter  the  ports  of  California." 

Yankee  enterprise  was  seeking  wider  fields  for  its 
operations,  and  the  Pacific  was  attracting  attention.  In 
the  summer  of  1787,  Messrs.  Barrell,  Bulfinch  &  Co., 
merchants,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  fitted  out  two  vessels  and 
despatched  them  to  the  Pacific,  with  directions  to  pro- 
ceed as  far  north  as  King  George  s  sound.  One  of 
these  vessels,  the  Washington,  ninety  tons,  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Robert  Gray ;  the  other,  the  Co- 
lumbia, two  hundred  tons,  was  commanded  by  Captain 
John  Kendrick.    A  resolution  had  previously  passed 


EARLY  VOYAGERS. 


67 


•Congress  that  these  vessels  be  granted  sea  letters  of 
safety  by  the  Federal  government,  which  was  done; 
besides  this,  the  State  of  Massachusetts  issued  pass- 
ports to  them,  and  letters  from  the  Spanish  minister  in 
the  United  States  was  obtained,  introducing  the  cap- 
tains to  the  Spanish  officials  on  the  Pacific  coast,  which 
latter  accounts  for  Governor  Pages'  letter  to  the  com- 
mandant ai  the  presidio  of  San  Francisco,  wherein  we 
have  the  first  mention  of  an  American  vessel  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  Both  vessels  left  Boston  on  the  30th 
day  of  September,  1787;  and  on  the  17th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1788,  the  Washington  reached  Nootka  sound,  and 
in  a  few  days  the  Columbia  arrived  at  the  same  place. 
Captain  Gray  subsequently  commanded  the  Columbia^ 
and  on  board  of  her  discovered  the  Columbia  river. 
Among  other  articles  on  board  these  vessels,  intended 
for  trafficking  with  the  natives  of  the  Pacific  coast,  was 
a  quantity  of  copper  coins,  issued  by  the  Commonwealtli 
of  Massachusetts ;  some  of  which  were  discovered  half 
a  century  later  among  the  natives  on  the  coast. 

Following  is  a  letter  from  the  Governor  of  California 
to  the  commandant  of  the  presidio  at  San  Francisco, 
respecting  the  Washington  and  Columbia  : 

"Whenever  there  may  arrive  at  the  port  of  San  Francisco  a  ship 
named  the  Columbia,  said  to  belong  to  General  Washington,  of  the 
American  States,  commanded  by  John  Kendrick,  which  sailed  from 
Boston  in  September,  1787,  bound  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the 
Russian  establishments  on  the  northern  coast  of  this  peninsula,  you 
will  cause  the  said  vessel  to  be  examined  with  caution  and  delicacy, 
using  for  this  purpose  a  small  boat  which  you  have  in  your  posses- 
sion, and  taking  the  same  measu'-es  with  every  other  suspicious 
foreign  vessel,  giving  me  prompt  notice  of  the  same. 

"May  God  preserve  your  life  many  years. 


"Santa  Barbara,  Maj>  13, 1789. 
"To  Josef  Arguello." 


"Pedp.c  Faces. 


68 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  ship  Columbia  alluded  to  was  now  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Robert  Gray,  which  sailed  upon  a 
second  voyage  in  search  of  traffic  among  the  natives, 
and  arrived  at  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  June  5, 1 791.  Cap- 
tain Gray,  on  his  expedition,  in  trading  down  the  coast 
with  the  natives,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1792,  three  years 
after  the  mention  made  of  him  by  Governor  Pages  of 
California,  discovered  and  entered  the  Columbia  river, 
to  which  he  gave  its  name,  after  his  ship,  which  was  the 
first  vessel  that  ever  entered  that  river,  and  from  which 
Gray  set  sail  homeward  on  May  20,  1792.  Captain 
Gray,  with  reports  of  his  discovery  and  a  valuable 
cargo  of  furs,  returned»to  Boston,  without  touching  at 
any  of  the  ports  of  California. 

Expeditions  from  Boston  were  soon  inaugurated  for 
settlement  and  trade  upon  the  Columbia ;  and  from  this 
period  American  vessels,  at  intervals,  visited  the  coast, 
but  their  trade  was  chiefly  confined  to  the  Columbia 
river  and  the  distant  whale-grounds  in  the  North 
Pacific. 

,  Jos6  Argiiello,  the  commandant  of  the  presidio  of 
San  Francisco,  on  the  26th  of  August,  1803,  writes  to 
Governor  Jos6  Joaquin  de  Ar/illaga  as  follows : 


"That,  on  the  first  of  the  present  month,  at  the  hour  of  evening 
prayers,  two  American  vessels  anchored  in  the  port,  (San  Francisco,) 
one  named  the  Alexander,  under  the  command  of  Captain  John 
Brown,  and  the  other,  named  the  Aser,  under  the  command  of 
Thomas  Raben ;  that,  as  soon  as  tbey  anchored,  the  captain  came 
ashore  to  ask  permission  to  get  supplies  of  wood  and  water,  when, 
observing  that  he  was  the  same  Brown  that  was  there  in  the  preced- 
ing month  of  March,  he  refused  to  give  him  permission  to  remain 
in  port;  that,  on  the  day  following,  at  six  in  the  morning,  he 
received  a  letter  from  the  captain,  (or  supercargo,)  a  copy  of  which 
he  transmits,  which  is  as  follows : 


DIsdoVERY  OF  THE   COLUMBIA  RIVER. 


69 


"Port  of  San  Francisco,  August  12,  1803. 
**To  the  Senor  Cotnmandante  of  the  port : 

"  Notwithstanding  your  order  for  our  immediate  departure  from 
this  port,  I  am  constrained  to  say  that  our  necessities  are  such  as  to 
render  it  impossible  for  us  to  do  so.  I  would  esteem  it  a  great 
favor  if  you  would  come  aboard  and  see  for  yourself  the  needy  cir- 
cumstances in  which  we  are  placed ;  for,  during  the  whole  of  the 
time  we  have  been  on  the  northwest  coast,  we  have  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  supplying  ourselves  with  wood  and  water,  the  Indians 
being  so  savage  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  hold  any  kind  of 
friendly  intercourse  with  them  whatever." 

The  letter  continues  at  considerable  length,  detailing 
a  long  cruise  of  the  vessels  upon  the  northwest  coast 
with  several  encounters  with  Indians.  After  detailing 
the  reports  of  the  capture  of  the  ship  Boston  by  the 
Indian  chief  Quatlazape,  on  his  travels  through  the 
Straits  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  the  massacre  of  all  the  crew 
save  two,  and  the  beaching  and  burning  of  the  vessel, 
it  concludes  as  follows : 

**  This  is  all  the  account  I  am  able  to  give  of  the  matter,  and  I* 
pray  you,  in  the  name  of  God,  to  come  aboard  our  ship  and  see 
the  needy  circumstances  in  which  we  are  placed,  destitute  of  wood 
and  water,  and  our  vessel  needing  repairs.  Trusting  in  your  Chris- 
tian charity,  and  that  of  your  nation,  we  hope  to  be  permitted  to 
remain  in  this  port  the  time  necessary  to  obtain  supplies  and  make 
repairs,  since  otherwise  we  shall  certainly  lose  our  ship. 

*'  God  preserve  your  life  many  years. 

"James  Rowan." 

• 

After  the  discovery  of  the  Columbia  by  Captain  Gray, 
the  next  vessel  that  entered  that  river  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  brig  Jennet,  Captain  Parker,  of  Bristol, 
Rhode  Island,  in  the  summer  of  1792.  On  the  20th  of 
October  of  this  year,  the  Chatham,  of  the  British  navy, 
commanded  by  Captain  Broughton,  entered  the  Co- 
lumbia and  explored  it  in  small  boats,  leaving  on  the 


70 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


loth  of  November  following.  From  this  period  until 
1 805,  twelve  vessels  had  entered  the  Columbia  river, 
all  of  which  were  fitted  out  and  sailed  from  Boston, 
except  one,  the  Juno,  of  Bristol,  Rhode  Island. 

As  early  as  March  14,  1803,  the  brig  Delia  Byrd, 
Captain  Cleveland,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  arrived  at  San 
Diego ;  and,  in  1 807,  the  ship  yuno,  already  mentioned, 
having  been  sold  to  the  Russians  at  Sitka,  entered  the 
Golden  Gate,  having  on  board  the  Russian  ambassador 
to  Japan,  Count  Von  Resanoff.  While  in  California, 
the  count  was  so  delighted  with  the  country  that  he 
arranged  for  the  founding  of  a  Russian  settlement  at 
Bodega  bay,  in  Sonoma  county.  This  location  was 
made  in  181 2;  and,  in  1820,  another  settlement  was 
established  at  Fort  Ross,  in  the  same  county.  The 
Russians  had  subsequently  a  settlement  also  on  the 
Farallones;  but  Count  Resanoff  never  returned  to 
California,  being  accidentally  killed  in  Siberia  by  a  fall 
from  his  horse. 

The  English  government,  desiring  to  acquire  Cali- 
fornia, offered  serious  objections  to  the  Russian  setde- 
ments  in  it ;  and  the  Mexican  authorities,  fearing  that 
they  did  not  possess  the  ability  to  dislodge  them  from 
the  formidable  forts,  appealed  to  the  United  States 
government  to  request  their  removal,  in  compliance 
with  the  treaty  stipulations  of  April,  1824,  between 
Russia  and  the  United  States,  that  the  former  would 
not  permit  her  subjects  to  make  settlements  south  of 
latitude  50°  40'  on  the  Pacific.  Uncle  Sam  came  to  the 
rescue ;  made  a  demand  that  the  Russians  evacuate ; 
and  in  1841  the  imperial  eagles  of  the  Czar  took  their 
flight  northward  to  Alaska.  One  of  the  brass  guns  of 
the  Russian  company  in  California  is  now  in  the  pos- 


s< 
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VOYAGEKS  AND  EXPLORERS. 


71 


session  of  the  Pioneer  Society  in  San  Francisco ;  others, 
with  other  property,  were  sold  to  Captain  Sutter  on 
the  departure  of  the  company,  and  the  remainder  were 
included  in  Seward's  recent  purchase  of  the  Czar's  pos- 
sessions in  North  America. 

Perkins,  Lamb  &  Co.,  and  Lyman  &  Co.,  of  Boston, 
were  the  principal  parties  in  fitting  out  vessels  for  the 
earl)  traffic  on  the  northwest  coast.  The  expedition 
of  Lewis  and  Clark,  under  the  direction  of  President 
Jefferson,  to  explore  the  Columbia,  which  left  the  At- 
lantic side  in  1 804,  arrived  at  the  Columbia,  November 
15,  1805;  and  in  March,  1806,  started  n  their  home- 
ward march,  to  report  to  theii*  government  the  r'isult 
of  their  expedition. 

During  the  years  1806-9,  ten  vessels,  fitted  out  from 
Boston  by  the  enterprising  firms  of  Thomas  Lyman, 
Perkins,  Lamb  &  Co.,  and  Lyman  &  Co.,  entered  the 
Columbia;  and,  in  18 10,  the  Albatross,  from  Boston, 
Captain  T.  Winship,  entered  the  Columbia.  The  cap- 
tain located  a  post,  and  planted  a  garden,  at  Oak  Point, 
on  the  Columbia.  This  was  the  first  settiement  made 
in  Oregon. 

In  this  year  a  new  stimulus  was  given  to  the  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  Pacific  coast.  John  Jacob 
Astor,  of  New  York,  in  connection  with  Wilson  P. 
Hunt,  of  New  Jersey,  and  others,  organized  the  Pacific 
Fur  Company.  In  September,  18 10,  the  ship  Tonquin, 
with  the  stores,  officers,  employes,  &c.,  of  this  company, 
sailed  from  New  York,  and  arrived  at  the  Columbia  on 
the  24th  of  March,  181 1,  and  established  themselves  on 
the  southern  bank  near  the  mouth,  which  they  named, 
after  the  founder  of  the  company,  Astoria.  Astor  and 
"  Hunt  admitted  into  the  company  Messrs.  McDougal, 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


McKay,  and  Robert  and  David  Stewart,  who,  at  the 
head  of  eleven  clerks,  thirteen  Canadian  voyagers,  and 
five  mechanics,  entered  upon  a  most  lively  and  profita- 
ble fiir-trade.  A  garden  was  planted,  started  by  plant- 
ing twelve  potatoes,  (all  they  had,)  and  an  American 
settlement  was  commenced. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  181 2,  the  ship  Beaver,  twenty 
guns.  Captain  Sowls,  by  way  of  the  Sandwich  islands, 
with  additional  supplies,  and  having  on  board  Mr. 
Clark,  six  clerks,  and  twenty-six  Kanakas,  arrived  to 
join  Astor's  company  on  the  Columbia. 

News  of  American  occupation  of  Oregon  reaching 
the  British  authorities  and  the  members  of  the  North- 
west Fur  Company,  (a  company  established  by  charter 
of  Louis  XIII,  of  France,  in  Acadia,  Nova  Scotia,  in 
1630,  and  whose  existence  and  legality  were  acknowl- 
edged by  the  British  government  on  the  transfer  of 
Acadia  to  England  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  in  1714,) 
they  became  alarmed  at  the  encroachments  of  Ameri- 
cans in  such  close  proximity  to  the  northern  .British 
American  boundary,  then  undefined  and  uncertain. 
This  fur  company  despatched  from  Canada  Mr.  David 
Thompson,  as  their  agent,  to  the  Columbia  river,  where 
he  arrived  July  15,  181 3,  and  located  at  Astoria.  His 
object  was  to  supplant  Astor  and  his  American  inter- 
ests, and  obtain  possession  of  the  country  and  its  fur 
trade. 

Messrs.  Hunt,  McKenzie,  McClellan,  and  Crooks, 
members  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company,  with  sixty  men, 
had  left  the  Atlantic  States,  crossed  the  country,  and, 
after  great  peril  and  the  loss  of  many  of  their  com- 
rades, arrived  at  Astoria,  January  28, 1 8 1 2.  In  August, 
1812,  Mr.  Hunt,  on  board  the  Beaver,  made  a  voyage 


FUR   TRADERS  ON  THE   COAST. 


73 


to  the  Russian  settlements  of  Alaska  for  the  purpose 
of  trade ;  thence  to  the  Sandwich  islands,  from  whence 
he  despatched  his  ship  to  China,  and  remained  at  the 
Sandwich  islands  until  June,  1813,  when  the  Albatross, 
on  her  way  from  -Canton,  brought  him  the  news  of 
the  war  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States, 
and  that  the  company's  ship  Beaver  was  at  Canton, 
blockaded  by  an  English  war- ship.  Mr*  Hunt,  on 
board  the  Albatross,  sailed  at  once  for  the  Columbia 
river,  where  he  arrived  August  4,  181 3.  Here  he 
found  things  changed:  his  resident  partners  at  Astoria, 
who  managed  the  business  in  the  interior,  were  British 
subjects,  and  were  desirous  to  sell  the  rights  of  the 
company  to  the  Northwest  Fur  Company.  Hunt,  on 
the  Albatross,  soon  departed  for  the  Sandwich  islands. 
At  Washington  islands  he  met  the  United  States  frigate 
Essex,  Commodore  Porter,  from  whom  he  learned  that 
the  British  intended  to  seize  all  the  American  property 
on  the  Pacific.  At  the  Sandwich  islands  he  chartered 
the  brig  Pedler  and  started  back  to  Astoria,  where  he 
arrived  in  February,  1814,  only  to  learn  that  immedi- 
ately after  his  departure  from  Astoria,  in  August,  181 3, 
Mr.  McTavish,  an  agent  of  the  Northwest  Fur  Com- 
pany, with  a  number  of  employes,  had  arrived  at  Asto- 
ria, and  that  his  partners  had,  on  the  i6th  of  October, 
181 3,  sold  out  the  American  Pacific  Fur  Company 
to  the  Northwest  Fur  Company,  and  had  themselves 
joined  that  company  and  thrown  all  their  influence  into 
it.  Thus,  by  the  duplicity  of  the  British  subjects  in  the 
Astor  company,  and  without  the  knowledge  or  consent 
of  its  founder  and  head,  they  turned  Ov  -r  to  the  North- 
west Fur  Company,  at  a  nominal  sum,  that  prosperous 
concern,  which  in  so  short  a  time  (two  years)  had  laid 


74 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  foundation  of  American  settlement  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  the  princely  fortune  of  its  projector. 

The  British,  in  possession  of  the  fur  company  and 
Astoria,  changed  its  name  to  their  patron  saint,  and 
called  it  Fort  George.  On  December  i ,  following,  the 
British  sloop-of-war  Raccoon,  Captain  Black,  arrived  at 
Astoria,  and  landed  a  troop  of  British  soldiers.  Black 
took  formal  possession  of  the  place,  lowered  the  Ameri- 
can flag,  and  placed  in  its  stead  the  cross  of  St.  George' 
and  thus  Oregon  was  in  possession  of  the  British,  which 
they  formally  held  until  the  6th  of  October,  1818,  when, 
by  order  of  the  Prince  Regent  of  England  to  the  North 
American  Fur  Company,  under  date  of  January  27, 
181 8,  to  deliver  the  territory  to  the  American  govern- 
ment, it  was  restored  by  the  following  article : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  do,  in  conformity  to  the  first  article  of 
the  treaty  of  Ghent,  restore  to  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
through  its  agent,  J.  P.  Provost,  Esq.,  the  settlement  of  Fort  George, 
on  the  Columbia  river. 

"  Given  under  our  hands  in  triplicate,  at  Fort  George,  (Columbia 
river,)  this  6th  day  of  October,  1818. 

"  F.  HiCKEY,  Captain  H.  M.  Ship  Blossom, 
"J.  Keith,  of  the  N.  W.  Co." 

On  the  restoration  of  the  territory,  the  stars  and 
stripes  once  more  floated  over  Oregon. 

In  1821,  the  North  American  Fur  Company  and  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  consolidated,  under  the  name 
of  ihe  Hudson  Bay  Company,  in  which  capacity  they 
continued  in  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory  until  a 
very  recent  period. 

On  the  disbandment  of  the  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
(Astor's,)  a  number  of  the  employes  of  the  company 
embarked  in  trading  and  independent  trapping,  some 
of  whom  found  their  way  to  California.    Astor,  however. 


,.  |vl(''"!;i#i- 


^m-§tm^^ 


ii.sMK    I  Ai  ..-  "i-    nil',   vn 
(  ;w  fttl  in  height.     I 


,,     ,  I.     1  l-.KUr|iiKV, 

NoMhcrii  I'aclfli.  (tailroud,^ 


mm 


TRAPPERS  IN 


INTERIOR. 


75 

did  not  abandon  the  fur  trade ;  but,  in  connection  with 
W.  H.  Ashley,  in  1823,  formed  a  second  North  Ameri- 
can Fur  Company,  extending  its  operations  in  die  direc- 
tion of  the  Rocky  mountains;  and,  in  1824,  established 
a  post  near  Salt  lake.  In  1826,  diis  company  had  in 
its  employ  over  one  hundred  men  in  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains and  on  the  Green  river. 

During  this  period  a  company  known  as  the  Rocky 
Mountain  Fur  Company  was  trading  in  the  mountains, 
and  pushed  its  operations  into  California,  and  as  far 
north  as  the  Umpqua  river  in  Oregon.  The  members 
of  this  company  were  Messrs.  Jackson,  Sublette,  Smith, 
and  others.  The  overland  journeys  up  to  this  date 
were  all  made  to  Oregon  :  as  yet,  the  foot  of  the  white 
man  had  never  entered  California  by  the  overland  route, 
until  the  Smith  above  alluded  to,  in  the  spring  of  18.15, 
found  his  way  into  California,  i.nd  who  is  entitled  to  the 
honorof  being  the  earliest  overland  pioneer  of  California. 
In  July,  1825,  he  established  a  post  near  the  present 
town  of  Folsom,  and  entered  upon  his  business  of 
trapping.  Smith,  in  October  of  this  year,  left  his  com- 
pany on  the  American  river  and  started  east  to  report 
to  his  partners  on  Green  river.  In  May,  1826,  in  com- 
pany with  several  others,  he  again  set  oat  for  California. 
On  his  way,  at  the  Mohave  settlements  on  the  Colorado, 
all  the  party  except  Smith  and  two  others  were  killed 
by  the  Indians. 

Smith  and  his  two  companions,  Turner  and  Galbraith, 
on  entering  California,  in  December,  1826,  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  State,  were  arrested  or»  suspicion  of  having 
designs  against  the  government,  and  carried  to  the 
presidio  at  San  Diego,  where  the  commandant  cf"  the 
territory,  Governor  Echandia,  interrogated  them  upoa 


76 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


their  intentions  and  business  in  California.  The  follow- 
ing letter  from  the  officers  of  American  vessels  then  on 
the  coast  had  the  effect  of  releasing  Smith  and  his  com- 
panions, securing  them  a  passport  permitting  them  to 
pursue  their  journey  toward  the  Columbia  river  in 
Oregon : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  having  been  requested  by  Captain  Jedediah 
S.  Smith  to  state  our  opinions  regarding  his  entering  the  province  of 
California,  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  we  have  no  doubt  in  our 
minds  but  that  he  was  compelled  to  for  want  of  provisions  and 
water,  having  entered  so  far  into  the  barren  co'tntry  that  lies  between 
the  latitudes  of  forty-two  and  forty-three  west  that  he  found  it  im- 
possible to  return  by  the  route  he  came,  as  his  horses  had  most  of 
them  perished  for  want  of  food  and  water.  He  was,  therefore, 
under  the  necessity  of  pushing  forward  to  California,  it  being  the 
nearest  place  where  he  could  procure  supplies  to  enable  him  to 
return. 

"  We  further  state  as  our  opinions  that  the  account  given  by  him 
is  circumstantially  correct,  and  that  his  sole  object  was  the  hunting 
and  trapping  of  beaver  and  other  furs. 

"We  have  also  examined  the  passports  produced  by  him  from  the 
Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  for  the  government  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  say  we  believe  them  to  be 
perfectly  correct. 

"We  also  state  that,  in  our  opinion,  his  motive  for  wishing  to 
pass  by  a  different  route  to  the  head  of  the  Columbia  river  on  his 
return  is  solely  because  he  *eels  convinced  that  he  and  his  companions 
run  gfeat  risk  of  perishing  if  they  return  by  the  route  they  came. 

"  In  testimony  whereof,  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals 
this  2oth  day  of  December,  1826. 

"Wm.  G.  Dana,  Capt.  of  Schooner  Waverly.  [l.  s.] 

"Wm.  H.  Cunningham,  Capt.  of  Ship  Courier.  [l.  s.] 
"Wm.  Henderson,  Capt.  of  Brig  Olive  Branch.  [l.  s.] 
"James  Scott.  [l.  s.] 

"Thos.  M.  RoBniNS,  Mate  of  Schooner  Waverly.  [l.  s.] 
"Thos.  Shaw,  Supercargo  of  Ship  Courier.'"  [l.  s.] 

Smith,  with  his  companions,  except  Turner  and  Gal- 
braith,  who  remained  in  California,  started  upon  their 


y.  S.  SMITH,  FIRST  EXPLORER. 


11 


northward  journey;  but  winter  coming  on,  they  met 
with  great  difficulty  in  pursuing  their  course,  and,  after 
several  ineffecfial  attempts  to  cross  the  mountains,  were 
forced  to  retrent  to  the  valleys  for  shelter  and  suste- 
nance. Here  Smith  again  found  himself  in  trouble: 
his  presence  appeared  before  the  "  holy  fathers  "  like  a 
terrible  apparition,  filling  them  with  terror,  and  they 
again  demanded  an  explanation;  and  poor  Smith, 
reduced  to  extremities  sufficient  to  arouse  sympathy  in 
the  heart  of  a  pagan,  pours  forth  his  sad  story  to  Father 
Duran,  then  stationed  at  San  Jose: 

LETTER  FROM  CAPTAIN  JEDEDIAH   S.  SMITH   TO   FATHER  DORAN. 

**  Reverend  Father:  I  understand,  throi.  :h  the  medium  of  one 
of  your  Christian  Indians,  that  you  are  anxious  to  know  who  we 
are,  as  some  of  the  Indians  have  been  at  the  mission  and  infoimed 
you  that  there  were  certain  whiis  people  im  the  country.  We  are 
Americans,  on  our  journey  to  the  River  Columbia.  We  were  m  at 
the  Mission  San  Gabriel  in  January  last.  I  went  to  San  Diego  and 
saw  the  general,  and  got  a  passport  Irom  him  to  pass  on  to  that 
place.  I  have  made  several  efforts  to  cross  the  mountains,  but  the 
snows  being  so  deep,  I  could  not  succeed  in  getting  over.  I  re- 
turned to  this  place  (it  being  the  only  point  to  kill  meat)  to  wail  a 
few  weeks  until  the  snow  melts,  so  that  I  can  go  on.  The  Indians 
here  also  being  friendly,  I  consider  it  the  most  safe  point  for  me  t- 
remain  nntil  such  time  as  I  can  cross  the  mountains  with  my  horses, 
having  lost  a  great  many  in  attempting  to  cross  ten  or  fifteen  days 
smce.  I  am  a  long  ways  from  home,  and  am  anxious  to  get  there 
as  soon  as  ti»e  nature  of  the  ccuse  will  admit.  Our  sit\ialion  is  quite 
unpleasant,  ueing  destitute  of  clothing  and  most  of  the  necessaries 
of  life,  wild  meat  being  our  principal  subsistence. 

"  I  am,  reverend  father,  your  strange  but  real  friend  and  Chrisnan 
brother, 

"J.  S.  SMfTH. 
"May  19,  1827." 

Smith  and  his  party,  in  the  summer  <rf  1827,  pursued 
tiaeir  journey  northward,  when,  arriving  at  the  mouth 


^  THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 

of  the  Umpqua  river,  in  Oregon,  the  whole  company, 
except  Smith,  Daniel  Prior,  and  Richard  Laughlin,  were 
murdered  by  the  Indians,  who  carried  their  packs  of 
valuable  furs  to  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  where  they 
sold  them.  With  his  remaining  companions.  Smith 
pushed  nctrthward,  and  finally  reached  Fort  Vancouver, 
on  the  v/est  side  of  the  Columbia  river.  He  subse- 
quently returned  to  St  I-ouis,  (1830,)  sold  out  his 
interest  in  the  fur  company,  and  was  finally  killed  by 
Indians  on  the  Cimarron  river,  in  1 831,  on  his  way  to 
Santa  Fe,  at  the  head  of  an  emigrant  company.  It  is 
said  that,  in  his  peregrinations  in  the  Sierras,  Smith 
discovered  gold  somewhere  between  Mono  lake  and 
Salt  Like,  and  that  he  carried  a  considerable  quantity 
of  it  to  his  partners  in  the  fur  company  on  Green  river; 
but  this  lacks  positive  confirmation. 

A  company  of  trappers,  under  the  leadership  of 
James  O.  Pattie,  left  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  in 
1825,  bound  for  the  Pacific  coast.  This  company  spent 
five  years  in  roanling  through  New  Mexico  and  Colo- 
rado. They  were  finally  plundered  in  the  Gila  valley 
by  the  Yuma  Indians,  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Colo- 
rado. The  members  of  this  company  first  entered 
California  in  1830.  An  account  of  this  expedition  was 
published  in  the  message  of  President  Jackson  to 
Congress,  in  1836. 

At  this  period,  and  for  many  years  previous,  Con- 
gress manifested  a  deep  interest  in  encouraging  emi- 
gration to  the  Pacific.  As  early  as  1820,  John  B. 
Floyd,  a  member  of  Congress  from  Virginia,  framed  a 
bill  and  presented  it  to  that  body,  "  favoring  emigration 
to  the  country  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  not  only 
from  the  United  States  but  from  China." 


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FIRST  AMERICANS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


79 


Captain  Brown,  by  water,  and  Captain  Smith,  by 
land,  are  beyond  all  doubt  entitled  to  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  Americans  that  ever  entered  California.  Pre- 
vious to  Smith's  arrival  overland,  considerable  business 
had  sprung  up  along  the  coast  of  California,  and  the 
trading  vessels  of  the  shrewd  Yankee  could  be  found 
threading  their  way  into  every  nook  and  corner,  from 
Lower  California  to  Sitka.  From  these  vessels,  as 
well  as  from  stray  trappers  from  Oregon,  some  settle- 
ment had  been  made  in  the  country. 

In  1 814,  one  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  ships 
put  into  Monterey  for  supplies,  having  on  board  John 
Gilroy,  a  Scottish  youth,  eighteen  years  of  age,  who 
was  so  ill  with  scurvy  that  he  had  to  be  left  at  this 
port.  Six  long  years  passed  from  the  date  of  his  being 
left  at  Monterey  before  another  ship  entered  that  har- 
bor, except  the  unwelcome  visit  made  by  a  Spanish 
pirate,  in  181 9,  which,  after  capturing  tlie  fort,  sacked 
the  town  and  finally  burned  it,  which  was  not  difficult, 
as  it  contained  only  six  small  houses.  Gilroy  located 
in  the  Santa  Clara  valley,  and  was  the  first  Anglo- 
Saxon,  or  Celtic,  settler  in  California.  He  died  a  few 
years  since,  at  his  home  in  the  town  of  Gilroy,  Santa 
Clara  county,  having  resided  constantly  in  California 
from  his  first  arrival. 

In  181 8,  Antonio  M.  Sufiol,  a  native  of  Spain,  but  at 
one  time  in  the  French  navy,  arrived  at  Monterey. 
He  resided  in  California  from  his  arrival  to  1865,  when 
he  died,  in  Santa  Clara  county. 

Captain  F.  W.  Macondray,  on  board  the  ship  Pan- 
ther, from  Chili,  arrived  at  Monterey,  in  1821 ;  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  the  country,  in  mercantile  business 
in  San  Francisco,  until  his  decease  a  few  years  since. 


80 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  first  mercantile  house  opened  in  California  was 
in  1822,  by  an  English  firm  from  Lima,  Peru;  they 
established  themselves  at  Monterey.  A  trade  in  hides, 
furs,  tallow,  wine,  and  grain  was  now  fast  growing  to 
importance.  In  this  year,  W.  E.  P.  Hartnell,  an  Eng- 
lishman, arrived  at  Monterey,  and  W.  A.  Richardson, 
also  an  Englishman,  arrived  at  San  Francisco.  Hart- 
nell subsequently  became  the  first  translator  for  the 
United  States  government  of  the  Mexican  archives, 
and  Richardson  became  the  first  harbor  master  at  San 
Francisco. 

J.  B.  R.  Cooper  arrived  at  Monterey  from  Boston, 
Mass.,  in  1823,  and  engaged  in  catching  sea  otter  on  the 
coast.  He  died  in  California  in  the  winter  of  187 1-2. 
He  was  the  half-brother  of  the  late  Thomas  O.  Larkin, 
first  and  only  United  States  consul  in  California. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  on  the  i8th  of 
May,  1 836,  passed  an  act  authorizing  an  expedition  to 
explore  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  make  a  full  examination 
of  the  islands,  rocks,  shoals,  &c.,  in  the  line  of  the  whal- 
ing fleets  of  the  Pacific,  the  coast  line,  and  interior  of 
Oregon  and  California;  and,  by  order  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  and  by  letter  from  J.  K.  Paul- 
ding, Secretary  of  the  Navy,  dated  August  11,  1838, 
Lieutenant  Charles  Wilkes,  subsequently  Commodore 
Wilkes,  was  appointed  to  command  the  expedition. 
The  Secretary's  letter  to  Wilkes  says : 

"Thence  you  will  direct  your  course  to  the  northwest  coast  of 
America,  making  such  surveys  and  examinations,  first  of  the  terri- 
tory of  the  United  States  on  the  seaboard  and  of  the  Columbia  river, 
and  afterwards  along  the  coast  of  California,  with  special  reference 
to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  as  you  can  accomplish  by  the  month 
of  October  following  your  arrival." 


COMMODORE    WILKES'   EXPEDITION. 


8i 


The  fleet  consisted  of  the  United  States  ship  Vin- 
cennes,  United  States  ship  Peacock,  United  States  ship 
Relief,  United  States  brig  Poi'poise,  tender  Sea-Gull, 
and  tender  Flying  Fish.  This  fleet,  well  equipped,  and 
manned  with  seamen  and  scientific  men,  sailed  on  its 
mission  August  i8,  1838;  and,  after  exploring  the 
South  Pacific,  arrived,  on  April  28,  1841,  off  Cape 
Disappointment,  negr  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river  • 
but,  owing  to  the  roughness  of  the  bar,  and  not  know* 
ing  the  channel,  Wilkes  headed  north,  and,  on  the  nth 
of  May,  entered  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  just  forty-nine 
years  after  the  navigator  Vancouver,  in  pursuing  the 
track  of  De  Fuca,  had  visited  there. 

Wilkes,  in  describing  his  explorations  along  the  north 
coast,  mentions  the  wreck  of  a  Japanese  junk,  near 
Point  Grenville,  which  is  midway  between  the  Columbia 
and  Puget  sound,  Washington  Territory.     He  says: 

"It  was  also  near  this  spot  that  the  very  remarkable  occurrence 
of  the  wreck  of  a  Japanese  junk  happened  in  the  year  1833.  The 
officers  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  became  aware  of  this  disaster 
in  a  singular  manner.  They  received  a  drawing,  on  a  piece  of 
China  p?.per,  in  which  were  depicted  three  shipwrecked  persons, 
with  the  junk  on  the  rocks,  and  the  Indians  engaged  in  plundering. 
This  was  sufficient  to  induce  them  to  make  inquiries ;  and  Captain 
McNeil  (r;  native  of  Boston)  was  despatched  to  Cape  Flattery  to 
obtain  furtht^r  information,  and  afford  relief,  should  it  be  needed. 

"  He  had  'he  satisfaction  to  find  three  Japanese,  whom  he  rescued 
from  slave.)  ;  and  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  with  characteristic 
liberality,  sent  them  to  England;  thence  they  took  passage  to  China, 
where,  I  understand,  they  still  remain,  in  consequence  of  theii  being 
unable  to  obtain  a  passage  to  Japan." 

Wilkes,  making  a  voyage  up  Puget  sound,  crossed 
by  land  to  the  Cowletz,  thence  down  the  Coliimbia,  and 
arrived  at  Astoria  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  1S41. 
After  extending  his  explorations  inland  as  far  as  Fort 


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33  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

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82 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Colville,  through  the  greater  part  of  Oregon  and  Wash 
ington  Territory,  he  proceeded  to  CaHfornia.  On  the 
14th  of  October,  1 841,  the  Vincennes,  Commander  Ring- 
gold, arrived  at  San  Francisco.  Here  mtelligence  of 
the  death  of  President  Harrison  was  received.  Wilkes, 
in  his  report,  says :  "  As  soon  as  the  ship  anchored,  an 
officer  was  despatched  on  shore  to  call  upon  the  authori- 
ties ;  but  none  of  any  description  were  to  be  found ; 
the  only  magistrate  or  alcalde  was  absent." 

After  the  land  expedition  had  explored  Southern 
Oregon  and  a  great  portion  of  the  mterior  of  California, 
the  various  divisions  of  the  expedition  met  at  San 
Francisco,  on  the  ist  of  November,  1841,  from  whence 
the  fleet  sailed  for  the  Hawaiian  group.  From  there 
the  expedition  extended  its  operations  to  the  South 
Pacific,  returning  home  by  China  and  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  and  arrived  at  New  York  on  the  loth  day  of 
June,  1842,  and  disbanded. 

Wilkes'  official  report  to  Congress  of  his  extensive 
explorations  in  the  Pacific — a  work  of  five  volumes, 
with  drawings,  maps,  charts,  &c. — is  a  valuable  acqui- 
sition to  our  early  history  of  the  Pacific  coast ;  but  fails 
to  exhibit  either  the  genial  climate  or  fertile  soil  of 
California  as  these  subjects  deserve;  and  the  single 
allusion  of  his  mineralogist,  Mr.  Dana,  of  the  indication 
of  precious  metals  in  some  quartz  specimens  found  in 
Southern  Oregon,  is  the  only  mention  made  of  mmerals 
in  his  report. 

It  was  in  conjunction  with  this  expedition,  and  to  ex- 
plore that  part  of  the  Pacific  coast  which  could  not  be 
reached  by  Wilkes'  party,  that  the  expeditions  of  John 
C.  Fremont  and  his  associates  were  subsequently 
inaugurated. 


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FREMONrS  EXPLORATIONS.  $3 

The  solicitude  of  the  government  to  ascertain  more 
concerning  the  region  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Columbia 
river  being  settled  up  with  Americans  caused  a  com- 
mission to  be  issued  to  John  C  Fremont,  to  explore 
the  Rocky  mountains  in  search  of  an  available  pass  to 
the  Columbia.  In  furtherance  of  this  object,  Fremont, 
at  the  head  of  a  party  fitted  out  for  this  expedition,  left 
Washington,  on  the  2d  of  May,  1842  ;  and,  after  a  six 
months  campaign,  in  which  he  extended  his  explora- 
tions no  farther  than  the  Rocky  mountains,  he,  on  the 
29th  of  October,  returned  and  reported  the  result  of 
his  observations,  which  were  so  favorably  received  by 
Congress  that  a  second  expedition  was  fitted  out,  with 
directions  to  explore  not  only  a  route  through  the 
Rocky  mountains  but  through  the  greater  part  of  Ore- 
gon and  California.  Fremont  was  again  appointed  to 
command  this  expedition,  consisting  of  thirty-nine  men, 
which  left  the  Missouri  river  on  their  western  tour  in 
May,  1843. 

Fremont  pushed  westward  with  great  energy,  making 
scientific  observations  upon  the  whole  route.  On  No- 
vember, 4,  1 843,  he  arrived  at  the  Dalles  on  the  Colum- 
bia river,  Oregon,  and  soon  started  southward  through 
the  Wallamet  valley  and  Southern  Oregon  by  Klamath 
lake.  Here  he  encountered  the  Sierras,  and  with  his 
horses  and  mules  famishing,  surrounded  with  frowning 
granite  peaks,  deep  ravines,  biting  frosts,  and  increasing 
depth  of  snow,  without  trail  or  hope  of  speedy  relief,  he 
passed  New  Year's  day,  1844.  From  this  period  until 
March  following,  this  little  band  battled  daily  against 
the  rigid  frosts  and  desolation  of  the  Sierras,  when, 
finally,  reaching  the  southern  slope  of  the  mountains, 


fi4 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


hope  dawned  upon  them.     They  emerged  from  their 
winter  imprisonment  on  March  6,  1844. 
Fremont,  in  his  report,  says : 

"Here  the  grass  was  smooth  and  green,  and  groves  very  open; 
'the  large  oaks  throwing  a  broad  shade  among  sunny  spots.  Shortly 
afterwards,  we  gave  a  shout  at  the  appearance  on  a  little  bluff  of  a 
neatly  built  adobe  house  with  glass  windows.  .  .  .  We  came 
unexpectedly  into  a  large  Indian  village,  where  the  people  looked 
clean,  and  wore  cotton  shirts,  and  various  other  articles  of  dress." 

This  was  one  of  Sutter's  houses,  and  Fremont  and 
his  party  soon  found  themseh'^es  in  comfortable  quarters 
with  the  noble  Swiss  philanthropist. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  Fremont  headed  homeward, 
following  the  San  Joaquin  valley,  with  the  Sierras  on 
his  left ;  heading  south  he  soon  reached  the  alkaline 
plains  of  San  Bernrrdino  county,  of  which  inhospitable 
region  Fremont,  in  his  report,  speaks  as  follows : 

"  One  might  travel  the  world  over  without  finding  a  valley  more 
fresh  and  yerdant — more  floral  and  sylvan — more  alive  with  birds 
and  animals — more  bounteously  watered — than  we  had  left  in  the 
San  Joaquin;  here,  within  a  few  miles  ride,  a  vast  desert  plain 
spreads  before  us,  from  which  the  boldest  traveller  turns  away  in 
despair."  % 

He  further  says : 

"  Our  cavalcade  made  a  strange  and  grotesque  appearance ;  and 
it  was  impossible  to  avoid  reflecting  upon  our  position  and  composi- 
tion in  this  remote  solitude.  Within  two  degrees  of  the  Pacific 
ocean ;  already  far  south  of  the  latitude  of  Monterey,  and  still  forced 
on  south  by  the  desert  on  one  hand  and  the  mountain  range  on  the 
other;  guided  by  a  civilized  Indian,  attended  by  two  wild  ones 
from  the  Sierras,  a  Chinook  from  the  Columbia,  and  our  own  mix- 
ture of  American,  French,  and  German — all  armed ;  four  or  five 
languages  heard  at  once ;  above  a  hundred  horses  and  mules,  half 
wild ;  American,  Spanish,  and  Indian  dresses  and  equipments  inter- 


FREMONT'S  EXPEDITIONS. 


85 


mingled — such  was  our  composition,  .  .  In  this  form  we  jour- 
neyed ;  looking  more  like  we  belonged  to  Asia  than  to  the  United 
Srates  of  America. ' ' 

In  May,  1844,  Fremont  and  his  party  found  them- 
selves, after  travelling  a  circuit  of  thirty-five  hundred 
miles  since  September,  1843,  '^"^  the  vicinity  of  Salt 
lake ;  where  they  had  halted  in  their  westward  march. 
On  the  6th  of  August,  1844,  he  with  his  party  arrived 
at  St.  Louis,  where  they  disbanded;  and  thus  ended 
his  second  overland  expedition. 


86 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Pico  and  Castro  in  command  of  California — Decline  of  the  mis- 
sions— Early  trade — English,  French,  and  American  consuls  in 
California — Indolence  of  the  people — Fremont's  third  explora- 
tion :  his  trials  and  triumphs  in  California — Castro  and  Fremont 
— Fremont  raises  the  American  flag — Lieutenant  Gillespie  carries 
letters  to  Fremont — Kit  Carson  saves  Fremont — Sonoma  captured 
— ^W.  B.  Ide  declares  a  republican  government  and  hoists  the  '  *  Bear 
Flag" — Fremont  elected  Governor — Commodore  Sloat  captures 
Monterey — British  projects  frustrated — Sloat's  proclamation — 
The  American  flag  hoisted  in  San  Francisco — Commodore  Stock- 
ton at  Monterey — Dupont  and  General  Kearney  at  Monterey — 
Arrival  of  Stevenson's  regiment — Uneasiness  of  the  native  Cali- 
fbrnians — Interesting  speeches — Proposition  to  place  California 
under  the  protection  of  England  or  France — General  Vallejo 
favors  annexation  to  the  United  States. 

The  spring  of  1846  found  Governor  Pico  and  General 
Castro — who,  with  General  Vallejo,  had  deposed  the 
last  of  the  Mexican  governors  in  California — in  com- 
mand of  the  civil  and  military  affairs  of  the  territory. 
But  these  officers  were  neither  reconciled  to  their  rela- 
tions with  each  other  nor  the  future  aspect  of  the  affairs 
of  California.  By  this  time  the  missions  of  the  pious 
fathers  had  been  abandoned,  and  were  in  a  hopeless 
state  of  decay;  the  native  converts  had  lost  their  piety 
with  the  decline  of  their  supply  of  Wbd ;  the  vast  herds 
and  flocks  of  the  Franciscan  fathers  had  disappeared. 
Most  of  the  officials  and  influential  men  of  Mexico  at 
one  time  in  the  country  had  either  been  banished  or  of 
their  own  will  had  departed.  The  last  of  the  Spanish 
galleons  had  disappeared  from  the  Pacific.  The  inte- 
rior trade  of  the  whole  countr-  was  a  mere  myth. 
Ships  commanded  and  owned  by  Americans  were 
hovering  about  the  ports,  supplying  the  setders  and 


"^<;^ 


':Vt 


MONTEREY,  MEXICAN    TERRITORIAL   CAPITAL   OK   CALIFORNIA,  IN    I846. 


I 
l 


i 


*%^ai** 


MISSION    RANCHO,  CALIFORNIA,  IN    I77O. 


«. 


INDOLENCE   OF  THE  PEOPLE, 


87 


natives  with  all  kinds  of  goods  and  "notions,"  for  which 
they  received  hides,  tallow,  and  peltry;  these  found  a 
market  chiefly  in  Boston.  Many  foreigners  were  settling 
about  the  coast ;  and  across  the  plains  and  from  Oregon 
came  considefable  numbers  of  Yankees,  always  a  terror 
to  the  Spanish  and  Mexican  settlers.  England,  France, 
and  the  United  States  had  their  consuls  at  Monterey, 
the  capital,  and  the  ships  of  their  r».spective  nations 
seemed  to  increase  and  hover  suspiciously  about  the 
ports. 

All  attachment  to  Spanish  rule  had  long  since  died 
out,  and  Mexico,  always  in  the  throes  of  intestine  war, 
had  neither  security  nor  attraction  for  the  native  popu- 
lation of  the  country,  now  the  sole  rulers  of  California. 
The  Indians  had  long  before  ceased  to  be  the  willing 
slaves  of  the  people.  The  masses  were  reckless,  indo- 
lent, and  illiterate,  living  off  the  flocks  and  herds  which 
roamed  over  limitless  acres.  Agriculture  was  almost 
entirely  unknown;  the  hand  of  skill  and  industry  had 
never  brought  forth  from  the  rich  soil  the  rewards  of 
the  husbandman ;  roads,  bridges,  canals,  and  wheeled 
carriages  were  unknown ;  the  iron  horse  had  not  yet 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  nor  looked  out  upon  the  placid 
waters  of  the  Pacific  ocean.  All  branches  of  art  and 
manufacture  were  yet  a  mystery.  Codes  of  laws, 
courts,  and  juries,  with  doctors,  lawyers,  and  schools, 
were  unheard  of.  Carpets,  cooli-stoves,  window  glass, 
and  wood  floors  were  never  seen  ;  milk,  butter,  cheese, 
and  eggs  were  something  of  which  the  people  knew 
not  even  by  name,  although  cattle  dotted  every  hill, 
and  the  genial  climate  and  prolific  soil,  without  the  aid 
of  man,  supported  all  stock  the  whole  year  around. 

What  is  now  the  city  of  San  Francisco  was  a  scattered 


88 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


village  of  mud  and  adobe  huts,  with  a  few  hundred  in- 
habitants, who  alternately  waded  through  sand  and  mud 
unaided  by  streets,  and  no  other  light  than  that  which 
the  tallow  candle  or  whale  oil  afforded.  Navigation  upon 
the  inland  waters  of  the  State  was  confined  to  a  few 
whaleboats  in  the  possession  of  the  resident  foreigners. 
The  great  forests,  fisheries,  quarries  of  granite,  and  beds 
of  coal  were  undisturbed.  The  Si*nds  of  the  Yuba  and 
Feather  rivers  still  concealed  their  golden  treasure,  and 
the  great  bosom  of  nature,  which  held  in  its  gigantic 
and  stern  embrace  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  foot-hills 
and  Sierras,  still  refused  to  man  the  secret  which  two 
years  later  electrified  the  world,  and  brought  the  most 
unknown  and  fairest  portion  of  the  globe  into  close 
social  and  commercial  relations  with  all  parts  of  the 
world,  and  so  materially  aided  in  developing  California, 
in  1870,  to  its  status  of  five  hundred  and  sixty  thou- 
sand active,  educated,  and  progressive  people,  in  the 
possession  of  real  estate  to  the  value  of  two  hundred 
million  dollars,  and  personal  property  worth  one  hun- 
dred million  dollars,  and  an  area  and  capabilities  to  sus- 
tain a  population  of  seventy  million. 

The  third  expedition  under  Fremont  was  projected 
by  Congress  during  the  early  part  of  1845  ;  and  in  the 
spring  of  that  year  started  across  the  plains  and  the 
Rocky  mountains  to  the  Pacific,  with  instructions  to 
endeavor  to  find  the  best  route  from  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river.  After  a 
most  hazardous  journey,  he  arrived  with  his  faithful 
guide  and  escort.  Kit  Carson,  and  his  men,  (six  of  whom 
were  Delaware  Indians,)  the  whole  company  consisting 
of  sixty-two  men,  within  a  hundred  miles  of  Monterey, 
where  he  halted,  and  proceeded  in  person  to  the  head- 


w 


MEXICAN  TREACHER  Y.  §9 

quarters  of  General  Castro,  the  Mexican  general  in 
charge  of  the  territory.  His  object  was  to  obtain  a 
pass  for  himself  and  company  to  go  to  the  San  Joaquin 
valley,  where  hunting  and  pasture  were  abundant.  He 
received  a  verbal  promise  from  the  general  that  it  would 
be  all  right,  to  go  where  he  desired,  and  that,  on  his 
word  of  honor  "as  a  soldier,"  he  \.  ^>ald  not  he  molested. 
Freraont  and  his  party  were  soon  on  tbeir  way  to  the 
valley. 

Three  days  after  this,  General  Castro  had  raised  an 
army  of  three  hundred  native  Californians,  and  sent  a 
despatch  to  Fremont,  notifying  him  to  quit  the  country 
at  once,  else  he  would  march  upon  him  and  put  to 
death  his  whole  company.  This  treachery  did  not 
much  surprise  Fremont,  who  replied  that  he  would 
leave  when  he  was  ready.  He  prepared  for  action, 
entrenched  himself  on  "  Hank's  Peak,"  about  thirty 
miles  from  Monterey,  and  overlooking  that  village, 
where  he  raised  the  American  flag.  The  whole  com- 
pany was  well  armed,  each  with  a  knife,  a  tomahawk, 
two  pistols,  and  a  rifle.  Castro  now  came  dashing  on 
with  cavalry,  infantry,  and  artillery ;  but,  after  making 
a  few  ineffectual  attacks,  always  galloped  off  before 
coming  within  range  of  Fremont's  bullets.  Castro 
issued  bulletins  and  proclamations  daily  of  the  impend- 
ing destruction  of  the  little  band,  but  always  keeping 
out  of  rifle-range  of  the  entrenchments.  After  four 
days  of  this  fighting,  Fremont  broke  camp  and  started 
on  his  journey  toward  Oregon.  Castro  was  not 
visible. 

Fremont  had  proceeded  into  Oregon,  and  had  reached 
Klamath  lake,  when  he  was  overtaken  by  Lieutenant 
Gillespie,  of  the  United   States  army,  who  had  left 


i 


90 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Washington  the  previous  November,  crossing  the  coun- 
try from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mazatlan,  and  who  arrived  at 
Monterey  in  a  United  States  sloop-of-war,  and  started 
up  the  valley  in  search  of  the  explorers.  Gillespie  had 
letters  to  Fremont  from  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  it 
is  supposed  ^hey,  or  other  letter?  -o  him  from  friends 
at  Washington,  caused  him  to  retrace  his  steps  and  re- 
turn to  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento.  This  move  had 
been  quickened  by  the  fact  that,  on  the  very  night  after 
receiving  his  despatches,  and  while  all  were  asleep,  the 
Indians  broke  into  his  camp  and  assassinated  three  of 
his  Delaware  Indians,  and  might  have  slain  the  whole 
company  had  it  not:  been  for  the  vigilance  of  Kit  Carson, 
who  sounded  the  alarm. 

Fremont  soon  returned  to  the  Sacramento  valley, 
and  encamped  near  the  mouth  of  the  Feather  river, 
where  the  settlers  soon  flocked  around  him.  Great 
alarm  was  caused  by  reports  that  General  Castro,  with 
a  strong  force  of  cavalry,  was  on  the  march  to  attack 
them.  A  company  of  twelve  volunteers,  headed  by 
Mr.  Mersite,  started  for  the  Mexican  fort  at  Sonoma, 
in  Sonoma  county,  and  on  the  15th  of  June,  1846, 
entered  and  captured  the  post,  where  they  found  two 
hundred  and  fifty  stand  of  arms  and  nine  cannon.  Here 
they  captured  General  Vallejo,  and  took  him  a  prisoner 
to  Sutter's  fort  at  Sacramento. 

William  B.  Ide,  a  New  England  man,  was  left  to 
garrison  the  fort  at  Sonoma,  with  a  force  of  eighteen 
men.  General  Castro  having  charge  of  the  department 
of  Sonoma,  issued  his  proclamation,  calling  upon  his 
countrymen  to  rise  and  drive  the  marauders  from  the 
soil.  On  the  i8th  of  June,  Ide  issued  his  proclamation 
to  the  people  of  Sonoma,  to  defend  themselves,  and 


IDE'S  PROCLAMATION. 


91 


calling  upon  them  to  assemble  at  Sonoma,  and  assist  in 

establishing  a  republican  government 

Following  is  Ide's  proclamation : 

*' A  proclamation  to  all  persons  and  citizens  of  the  District  of  Sonoma, 
requesting  them  to  remain  at  peace,  and  follow  their  rightful  occupa- 
tions without  fear  of  molestation. 

"  The  Commander-in-chief  of  the  troops  assembled  at  the  fortress 
of  Sonoma  gives  his  inviolable  pledge  to  all  persons  in  California, 
not  found  under  arms,  that  they  shall  not  be  disturbed  in  their  per- 
sons, their  property,  or  social  relations,  one  with  another,  by  men 
under  his  command. 

"  He  also  solemnly  declares  his  object  to  be,  first,  to  defend  him- 
self and  companions  in  arms,  who  were  invited  to  this  country  by  a 
promise  of  lands  on  which  to  settle  themselves  and  families,  who 
were  also  promised  a  republican  government ;  when,  having  arrived 
in  California,  they  were  denied  the  privilege  of  buying  or  renting 
lands  of  their  friends;  who,  instead  of  being  allowed  to  participate 
in  or  being  protected  by  a  republican  government,  were  oppressed 
by  a  military  despotism  j  who  were  even  threatened  by  proclama- 
tion, by  the  chief  officers  of  the  aforesaid  despotism,  with  extermi- 
nation, if  they  should  not  depart  out  of  the  country,  leaving  all  their 
property,  arms,  and  beasts  of  burden ;  and  thus  deprived  of  their 
means  of  flight  or  defence,  were  to  be  driven  through  deserts  inhab- 
ited by  hostile  Indians  to  certain  destruction. 

"  To  overthrow  a  government  which  has  seized  upon  the  property 
of  the  missions  for  its  individual  aggrandizement,  which  has  ruined 
and  sh  ■'mefuUy  oppressed  the  laboring  people  of  California  by  enor- 
mous CKactions  on  goods  imported  into  the  country,  is  the  determined 
purpose  of  the  brave  men  who  are  associated  under  my  command. 

"  I  also  solemnly  declare  my  object,  in  the  second  place,  to  be  to 
invite  all  peaceable  and  good  citizens  of  California,  who  are  friendly 
to  the  maintenance  of  good  order  and  equal  rights,  and  I  do  hereby 
invite  them,  to  repair  to  my  camp  at  Sonoma,  without  delay,  to 
assist  us  in  establishing  and  perpetuating  a  republican  government, 
which  shall  secure  to  all  civil  and  religious  liberty,  which  shall 
encourage  virtue  and  literature,  which  shall  leave  unshackled  by 
fetters  agriculture,  commerce,  and  manufactures. 

"  I  further  declare  that  I  rely  upon  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions, 
the  favor  of  Heaven,  and  the  bravery  of  those  who  are  bound  and 


92 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE, 


associated  with  me  by  the  principles  of  self-preservation,  by  the  love 
of  truth,  and  the  hatred  of  tyranny,  for  my  hopes  of  success. 

"I  furthermore  declare  that  I  believe  that  a  government,  to  be 
prosperous  and  happy,  must  originate  with  the  people,  who  are 
friendly  to  its  existence;  that  the  citizens  are  its  guardians,  the 
officers  its  servants,  its  glory  its  reward. 

"William  B.  Ide. 

"Head-Quarters,  Sonoma,  June  i8,  1^546." 

A  flag  was  improvised,  by  painting  in  rude  form  the 
figure  of  a  grizzly  bear  on  a  piece  of  white  cotton  cloth. 
It  followed  Ide's  proclamation,  and  was  the  first  flag 
after  California  was  declared  independent  of  Mexico. 
It  is  still  in  possession  of  the  "  Pioneer  Society  "  of 
California,  at  San  Francisco. 

Fremont  was  at  Sutter's  fort  during  these  event- 
ful operations ;  but  hearing  that  Castro  intended  a  raid 
upon  Ide  at  Sonoma,  he  reached  there,  on  the  23d  of 
June,  at  the  head  of  ninety  riflemen.  He  met  only  a 
few  retreating  Mexicans  of  De  la  Torres'  band,  who 
made  their  way  to  Saucelito,  where  they  escaped  by 
boat  across  the  bay  to  Yerba  Buena,  (now  San  F>an- 
cisco.)     Castro  did  not  appear. 

Fremont  returned  to  Sonoma,  and,  on  July  4,  1846, 
called  a  meeting  of  the  Americans.  He  was  appointed 
governor,  issued  a  proclamation  of  independence,  and 
declared  war  against  Mexico ;  and,  at  the  head  of  his 
company  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  started  for 
Sutter's  fort,  intending  to  attack  Castro,  who  was  re- 
ported to  be  at  Santa  Clara.  They  soon  learned,  how- 
ever, that  he  was  on  the  retreat  to  Los  Angeles,  but 
they  determined  to  follow  him,  (some  five  hundred 
miles.) 

Soon  news  reached  them  of  a  new  feature  In  affairs. 
On  the  7th  day  of  July,  Commodore  Sloat,  of  the  United 


I 


UNITED  STATES  AND  MEXICO  AT  WAR. 


93 


States  navy,  with  the  frigate  Savannah  and  another 
small  vessel,  arrived  at  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  California. 
The  commodore  had  no  instructions  from  his  govern- 
ment to  take  any  hostile  steps  on  the  Pacific  coast :  on 
the  contrary,  his  mission  was  peace ;  but  whilst  he  was 
at  Mazatlan  he  heard  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and 
of  the  war  waging  between  Mexico  and  the  United 
States,  and  that  General  Taylor  was  already  marching 
toward  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  that  Matamoras  was 
occupied  by  United  States  forces.  These  things  Sloat 
ha^d  learned  while  chi  board  his  vessel  at  the  Mexican 
port  of  Mazatlan.  The  news  of  these  events  had  been 
sent  by  courier  privately  from  the  city  of  Mexico  to 
the  Mexican  officials  at  Mazatlan;  and  although  instruc- 
tions had  been  issued,  dated  May  1 3,  1 846,  and  directed 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  to  Commodore 
Sloat,  to  take  possession  of  and  hold  Mazatlan,  Monte- 
rey, and  San  Francisco,  and  to  declare  the  country  the 
property  of  the  United  States,  they  had  not  reached 
him. 

Admiral  Seymour,  of  the  British  navy,  with  the  line- 
of-battle  ship  Colling^ivood,  was  at  Mazatlan.  He  had 
also  received  despatches  from  the  city  of  Mexico,  and 
it  was  evident  that  all  the  Mexican  officials  favored  the 
occupation  of  California  by  the  British,  Instead  of  by 
their  enemies,  the  Americans,  with  whom  they  were 
now  at  war. 

The  British  admiral,  basking  In  the  smiles  of  the 
Mexican  authorities,  hoisted  sail  upon  his  ship,  and 
the  Colli ngwood  majestically  moved  seaward,  bound  for 
Monterey.  Commodore  Sloat,  who  was  watching  with 
a  jeal*"  is  eye  the  movements  of  the  British  admiral, 


94 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


half  an  hour  later  set  sail  upon  his  two  little  vessels, 
the  Savannah  and  Preble,  and  headed  direcdy  for  Mon- 
terey, determined  to  take  possession  of  the  town  if  he 
arrived  there  before  the  British  admiral.  The  Savan- 
nah, being  the  fastest,  reached  Monterey  first,  where 
Sloat  learned  of  determined  efforts  being  made  by  the 
British  and  Mexican  authorities  to  place  California 
under  the  protection  of  the  English  government. 

Governor  Pico,  the  Mexican  Governor  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  California,  and  General  Castro,  were  in  favor 
of  this  scheme.  Mr.  Forbes,  the  English  vice-consul 
at  Monterey,  was  active  in  making  the  negotiations; 
and  the  American  consul,  Thomas  O.  Larkin,  also  at 
Monterey,  informed  Sloat  upon  his  arrival  of  the  state 
of  affairs.  This,  together  with  the  news  of  the  opera- 
tions of  Fremont  and  his  party  at  Sonoma,  (it  is  sup- 
posed he  had  heard  of  them,)  and  the  state  of  affairs 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  determined 
him  at  once  (July  7)  to  despatch  two  hundred  and  fifty 
marines  on  shore,  and  to  hoist  the  American  flag  over 
the  town  of  Monterey.  A  salute  of  twenty-one  guns 
was  fired,  and  a  proclamation  issued  that  California 
henceforth  was  a  part  of  the  United  States. 

The  dull  ship  of  the  British  rear-admiral  arrived  at 
Monterey  only  to  see  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  over 
it  as  a  part  of  the  republic  of  America.  The  admiral, 
too,  read  the  proclamation,  and  saw  that  he  was  out- 
witted by  Sloat,  and  outrun  by  the  Savamtah,  and  that 
the  swiftness  of  the  Savannah  and  the  gallantr^?^  of 
Commodore  Sloat  had  placed  California  beyond  British 
rule. 

The  proclamation  is  as  follows : 


COMMODORE  BLOATS  PROCLAMATION. 


95 


it 


TO  THE   INHABITANTS  OF   CALIFORNIA! 


*'  The  central  government  of  Mexico  having  commenced  hostilities 
against  the  United  States  of  America,  by  invading  its  territory,  and 
attacking  the  troops  of  the  United  States  stationed  on  the  north 
jide  of  the  Rio  Grande,  and  with  a  force  of  seven  thousand  men, 
under  the  command  of  General  Arista,  which  army  was  totally 
destroyed,  and  all  their  artillery,  baggage,  &c.,  captured  on  the  8th 
and  9th  of  May  last,  by  a  force  of  two  thousand  and  three  hundred 
men,  under  the  command  of  General  Taylor,  and  the  city  of  Mata- 
moras  taken  and  occupied  by  the  forces  of  the  United  States,  and 
the  two  nations  being  actually  at  war  by  this  transaction,  I  shall 
hoist  the  standard  of  the  United  States  at  Monterey  immediately, 
and  shall  carry  it  throughout  California. 

*'  I  declare  to  the  inhabitants  of  California  that,  although  I  come 
in  arms  with  a  powerful  force,  I  do  not  come  among  them  as  an 
enemy  to  California :  on  the  contrary,  I  come  as  their  best  friend, 
as  henceforth  California  will  be  a  portion  of  the  United  States,  and 
its  peaceable  inhabitants  will  enjoy  the  same  rights  and  principles 
they  now  enjoy,  together  with  the  privilege  of  choosing  their  own 
magistrates  and  other  officers  for  the  administration  of  justice  among 
themselves,  and  the  same  protection  will  be  extended  to  them  as  to 
any  other  State  in  the  Union.  They  will  also  enjoy  a  permanent 
government,  under  which  life,  property,  and  the  constitutional  right 
and  lawful  security  to  worship  the  Creator  in  the  way  the  most 
congenial  to  each  other's  sense  of  duty  will  be  secured,  which, 
unfortunately,  the  central  government  of  Mexico  cannot  afford  them, 
destroyed  as  her  resources  are  by  internal  factions  and  corrupt  officers, 
who  create  constant  revolutions  to  promote  their  own  interests  and 
oppress  the  people.  Under  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  California 
will  be  free  from  all  such  trouble  and  expenses ;  consequently  the 
country  will  rapidly  advance  and  improve  both  in  agriculture  and 
commerce,  as,  of  course,  the  revenue  laws  will  be  the  same  in  Cali- 
fornia as  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  affording  them  all  manu- 
flictures  and  produce  of  the  United  States  free  of  any  duty,  and  all 
foreign  goods  at  one-quarter  of  the  duty  they  now  pay.  A  great 
increase  in  the  value  of  real  estate  and  the  products  of  California 
may  also  be  anticipated. 

"With  the  great  interest  and  kiild  feeling  I  know  the  government 
and  people  of  the  United  -tates  possess  towards  the  citizens  of  Call- 


96 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


i 


I  1 


M     I  * 


f     I 


i     t 


forni'a,  the  country  cannot  but  improve  more  rapidly  than  any  other 
on  the  continent  of  America. 

' '  Such  of  the  inhabitants  of  California,  whether  native  or  foreigners, 
as  may  not  be  disposed  to  accept  the  high  privileges  of  citizenship, 
and  to  live  peaceably  under  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
will  be  allowed  time  to  dispose  of  their  property  and  to  remove  out 
of  t^'  J  country,  if  they  choose,  without  any  restriction ;  or  remain 
in  it,  observing  strict  neutrality. 

"With  full  confidence  in  the  honor  and  integrity  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country,  I  invite  the  judges,  alcaldes,  and  other  civil  officers 
to  execute  their  functions  as  heretofore,  that  the  public  tranquillity 
may  not  be  disturbed  ;  at  least  until  the  government  of  the  territory 
can  be  more  definitely  arranged. 

"All  persons  holding  titles  to  real  estate,  or  in  quiet  possession  of 
land  under  color  of  right,  shall  have  those  titles  guaranteed  to  them. 

"All  chuiclits  and  the  property  they  contain  in  possession  of  the 
clergy  of  California  shall  continue  in  the  same  rights  and  possessions 
they  now  enjoy. 

"All  provisions  and  supplies  of  every  kind  furnished  by  the  in- 
habitants for  the  use  of  the  United  States  ships  and  soldiers  will  be 
paid  for  at  fair  rates ;  and  no  private  property  will  be  taken  for 
public  use  without  just  compensation  at  the  mom  mt. 

"John  D.  Sloat, 
"Commander-in-chief  of  U.  S.  Naval  Force  on  Pacific  Ocean. 
"United  States  Flag-Ship  Savannah, 
"Harbor  of  Monterey,  Jtily  7, 1846." 

The  day  following,  July  8,  by  order  of  Commodore 
Sloat,  a  party  from  the  United  States  sloop-of-war 
Portsmouth  landed  at  Yerba  Buena,  now  San  Francisco, 
and  hoisted  the  American  flag  on  the  plaza. 

On  the  loth,  Commander  Montgomery,  of  the  Ports 
mouth,  sent  an  American  flag  to  Sonoma,  which  was 
hoisted,  and  the  flag  improvised  by  Ide  and  his  men, 
known  as  the  "Bear  Flag,"  was  hauled  down,  all  welcom- 
ing the  stars  and  stripes. 

Commodore  Stockton,  on  board  the  United  States 
frigate  Congress,  arrived  at  Monterey  July  1 5,  just'one 


!      1 


OCCUPATION  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


97 


week  after  Sloat  had  taken  possession  of  the  country ; 
and  one  week  later,  Commodore  Sloat  sailed  home  on 
board  the  Levant. 

Stockton  was  now  in  full  command  of  the  American 
fleet,  aided  by  Commodore  Dupont.  Meantime,  Gen- 
eral Stephen  W.  Kearney  had  arrived  at  Monterey, 
crossing  by  way  of  New  Mexico.  He  had  orders  from 
the  United  States  government  to  take  possession  of 
and  establish  a  government  for  California ;  but,  on  his 
arrival,  he  found  that  Sloat,  Stockton,  and  Fremont  had 
already  accomplished  these  things. 

One  of  the  forces  which  conduced  much  to  the  suc- 
cessful military  occupation  of  California  was  the  arrival 
at  San  Francisco,  on  the  7th  of  March,  1847,  of  Colonel 
Jonathan  D.  Stevenson,  at  the  head  of  one  thousand 
volunteers,  raised  in  New  York,  to  serve,  during  the 
war,  in  California.  The  conquest  of  California  had 
taken  place  before  the  arrival  of  this  regiment ;  but  it 
was  of  invaluable  service  to  the  State  in  maintaining 
order  in  the  country. 

Early  in  1846,  it  was  agreed  upon  by  the  leading 
Mexican  officials  of  the  Territory  of  California,  as  pro- 
mulgated by  the  Departmental  Assembly,  that  a  con- 
vention should  meet  at  Santa  Barbara,  on  the  1 5th  of 
June,  1846,  to  consider  the  future  prospects  of  the 
country.  Before  this  period  arrived,  the  stars  and 
stripes  w6re  hoisted  by  Fremont ;  but  before  this,  and 
before  the  authorities  knew  of  Fremont's  coming  to  the 
country,  an  informal  meeting,  held  at  Monterey,  at  the 
house  of  Don  Jose  Castro,  fully  developed  that  the 
people  were  ready  for  any  form  of  government  that 
would  afford  them  protection  and  security  from  their 
never-ceasing  political  *:urmoil. 


\ 


98 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


Following  are  a  few  extracts  from  speeches  made  by 

leading  persons  at  this  meeting : 

"Excellent  Sirs,  to  what  a  deplorable  condition  is  our  country 
reduced  !  Mexico,  professing  to  be  our  mother  and  our  protectress, 
has  given  us  neither  arms,  nor  money,  nor  the  materials  of  war  for 
our  defence.  She  is  not  likely  to  do  any  thing  in  our  behalf, 
although  she  is  quite  willing  to  afflict  us  with  her  extortionate  min- 
ions, who  come  hither,  in  the  guise  of  soldiers  and  civil  officers,  to 
harass  and  oppress  our  people.  We  possess  a  glorious  country, 
capable  of  attaining  a  physical  and  moral  greatness  corresponding 
with  the  grandeur  and  beauty  which  an  Almighty  hand  has  stamped 
upon  the  face  of  our  beloved  California.  But,  although  nature  has 
been  prodigal,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  we  are  not  in  a  position  to 
avail  ourselves  of  her  bounty.  Our  population  is  not  large,  and  it 
is  sparsely  scattered  over  valley  and  mountain,  covering  an  immense 
area  of  virgin  soil,  destitute  of  roads,  and  traversed  with  difficulty ; 
hence  it  is  hardly  possible  to  collect  an  army  of  any  considerable 
force.  Our  people  are  poor,  as  well  as  few,  and  cannot  well 
govern  themselves  and  maintain  a  decent  show  of  sovereign  power. 
Although  we  live  in  the  midst  of  plenty,  we  lay  up  nothing ;  but, 
tilling  the  earth  in  an  imperfect  manner,  all  our  time  is  required  to 
procure  subsistence  for  ourselves  and  families.  Thus  circumstanced, 
we  find  ourselves  threatened  by  hordes  of  Yankee  immigrants,  who 
have  already  begun  to  flock  into  our  country,  and  whose  progress 
we  cannot  arrest.  Already  have  the  wagons  of  that  perfidious  people 
scaled  the  almost  inaccessible  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  crossed 
the  entire  continent,  and  penetrated  the  fruitful  valley  of  the  Sacra- 
mento. What  that  astonishing  people  will  next  undertake  I  cannot 
say,  but,  in  whatever  enterprise  they  embark,  they  will  be  sure  to 
prove  successful.  Already  are  these  adventurous  land-voyagers 
spreading  themselves  far  and  wide  over  a  country  which  seems  suited 
to  their  taste.  They  are  cultivating  farms,  establishing  vineyards, 
erecting  mills,  sawing  up  lumber,  building  workshops,  and  doing  a 
thousand  other  things  which  seem  natural  to  them,  but  which  Cali- 
fomians  neglect  or  despise.  What,  then,  are  we  to  do?  Shall  we 
remain  supine,  while  these  daring  strangers  are  overrunning  our 
fertile  plains,  and  gradually  outnumbering  and  displacing  us  ?  Shall 
these 'incursions  go  on  unchecked,  until  we  shall  become  strangers 
in  our  own  land  ?    We  cannot  successfully  oppose  therp  by  our  own 


CIV 

FrJ 
Me] 

exte 
that 

and! 

Iwc 

natui 
fare.  I 
ough 


CALIFORNIA   SEEKING  PROTECTION. 


99 


unaided  power,  and  the  swelling  tide  of  immigration  renders  the 
odds  against  us  more  powerful  every  day.  We  cannot  stand  alone 
against  them,  nor  can  we  creditably  maintain  our  independence 
even  against  Mexico;  but  there  is  something  which  we  can  do, 
which  will  elevate  our  country,  strengthen  her  at  all  points,  and  yet 
enable  us  to  preserve  our  identity  and  remain  masters  of  our  own 
soil.  Perhaps  what  I  am  about  to  suggest  may  seem  to  some  faint- 
hearted and  dishonorable.  But  to  me  it  does  not  appear  so.  It  is 
the  last  hope  of  a  feeble  people,  struggling  against  a  tyrannical  gov- 
ernment which  claims  their  submission  at  home,  and  threatened  by 
bands  of  avaricious  strangers  from  without,  voluntarily  to  connect 
themselves  with  a  power  able  and  willing  to  defend  and  preserve 
them.  It  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  weak  to  demand  support  from 
the  strong,  provided  the  demand  be  made  upon  terms  just  to  both 
parties.  I  see  no  dishonor  in  this  last  refuge  of  the  oppressed  and 
powerless,  and  I  boldly  avow  that  such  is  the  step  I  would  now  have 
California  take.  There  are  two  great  powers  in  Europe  which 
seem  destined  to  divide  between  them  the  unappropriated  countries 
of  the  world.  They  have  large  fleets  and  armies  not  unpractised  in 
the  art  of  war.  Is  it  not  better  to  connect  ourselves  with  one  of 
these  powerful  nations  than  to  struggle  on  without  hope  as  we  are 
doing  now  ?  Is  it  not  better  that  one  of  them  should  be  invited  to 
send  a  fleet  and  an  army  to  protect  California  rather  than  we  should 
fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  lawless  adventurers  who  are  overrunning 
our  beautiful  country?  I  pronounce  for  annexation  to  France  or 
England." 

To  this  speech  General  Mariano  G.  Vallejo— a  native 
Californian — replied  as  follows : 

"I  cannot,  gentlemen,  coincide  in  opinion  with  the  military  and 
civil  functionaries  who  have  advocated  the  cession  of  our  coimtry  to 
France  or  England.  It  is  most  true  that  to  rely  any  longer  upon 
Mexico  to  govern  and  defend  us  would  be  idle  and  absurd.  To  this 
extent  I  fully  agree  with  my  distinguished  colleagues.  It  is  true 
that  we  possess  a  noble  country,  every  way  calculated,  from  position 
and  resources,  to  become  great  and  powerful.  For  that  very  reason 
I  would  not  have  her  a  mere  dependence  upon  a  foreign  monarchy, 
naturally  alien,  or  at  least  indifferent  to  our  interests  and  our  wel- 
fare. .  .  .  Even  could  we  tolerate  the  idea  of  dependence, 
ought  we  to  go  to  distant  Europe  for  a  master?    What  possible 


lOO 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


sympathy  could  exist  between  us  and  a  nation  separated  from  us 
by  two  vast  oceans  ?    But  waiving  this  insuperable  objection,  how 
could  we  endure  to  come  under  the  dominion  of  a  monarch?     .     . 
We  are  republicans.     Badly  governed  and  badly  situated  as  we  are, 
still  we  are  all,  in  sentiment,  republicans.     So  far  as  we  are  gov- 
erned at  all,  we  at  least  profess  to  be  self-governed.     Who,  then, 
that  possesses  true  patriotism,  will  consent  to  subject  himself  and 
children  to  the  caprices  of  a  foreign  king  and  his  official  minions  ? 
.     .     .     Our  position  is  so  remote,  either  by  land  or  sea,  that  we  are 
in  no  danger  from  a  Mexican  invasion.     Why,  then,  should  we 
hesitate  still  to  assert  our  independence?    We  have,  indeed,  taken 
the  first  step  by  electing  our  own  governor ;  but  another  remains  to  be 
taken.     I  will  mention  it  plainly  and  distinctly  •  it  is  annexation 
to  the  United  States.     In  contemplating  this  consummation  of  our 
destiny,  I  feel  nothing  but  pleasure,  and  I  ask  you  to  share  it. 
Discarr't  old  prejudices,  disregard  old  customs,  and  prepare  for  the 
gloriots  change  which  awaits  our  country.     Why  should  we  shrink 
from  incorporating  ourselves  with  the  happiest  and  freest  nation  in 
the  world,  destined  soon  to  be  the  most  wealthy  and  powerful? 
Why  should  we  go  abroad  for  protection,  when  this  great  nation  is 
our  adjoining  neighbor?    When  we  join  our  fortune  to  hers,  we 
shall  not  become  subjects,  but  fellow-citizens,  possessing  all  the 
rights  of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  choosing  our  own 
federal  and  local  rulers.     We  shall  have  a  stable  government  and 
just  laws.     California  will  grow  strong  and  flourish,  and  her  people 
will  be  prosperous,  happy,  and  free.     Look  not,  therefore,  with 
jealousy  upon  the  hardy  pioneers,  who  scale  our  mountains  and 
cultivate   our  unoccupied    plains ;    but  rather  welcome   them   as 
brothers,  who  come  to  share  with  us  a  common  destiny." 

From  this  period  General  Vallejo  and  his  friends 
took  active  measures  for  the  annexation  of  CaHfornia 
to  the  United  States.  The  general  still  resides  in  Cali- 
fornia, his  native  State,  of  which  he  is  a  loyal  and 
honored  citizen. 


THE   OLD   MISSION   CHURCH    AND   OUT    BUILDINGS,  SAN    I'RANCISCO. 

(Founded  in  1776.) 


GENERAL   VIEW    OX   THE   QUICKSILVER   WORKS   AT    NEW   ALMADEN. 
(Santa  Clara  County,  California.) 


'» 


COMMODORE  STOCKTON'S  PROCLAMATION. 


lOI 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Feud  between  Sloat  and  Fremont — Commodore  Stockton  in  com- 
mand :  his  proclamation — Departure  of  Sloat — Castro,  Pico,  and 
Flores  oppose  the  Americans — Stockton  warns  Castro  of  his  peril 
— Flores'  proclamation  to  his  countrymen — Fir.al  surrender  of  rhe 
Mexicans — Treaty  of  peace  concluded — Strif^p  between  Commo- 
dore Stockton  and  General  Kearney — Fremont  appointed  Mili- 
tary Governor — Stockton  takes  his  departure — Fremont  ousted — 
General  Kearney  and  Commodore  Shubrick  in  command — Colonel 
Mason  supersedes  General  Kearney — General  Kearney  proceeds 
to  Washington — His  ill-treatment  of  Fremont — Fremont  arrested 
and  carried  to  Fortress  Monroe — Court-martialled — Discharged 
from  arrest  by  order  of  the  President  —  Nominated  for  the 
Presidency. 

The  occupation  of  California  by  Commodore  Sloat 
and  the  promulgation  of  his  proclamation  was  official 
notice  to  the  world  that  the  territory  of  California  was 
the  property  of  the  United  States.  This  at  once  ended 
all  effort  or  design  of  England  or  France  to  possess 
themselves  of  the  country,  and  their  fleets  on  the  coast 
quietly  withdrew. 

Notwithstanding  that  Fremont  had  confronted  Castro, 
and  had  defended  the  Americans  in  the  Sacramento 
valley,  and  had  been  appointed  governor  at  Sonoma, 
and  proclaimed  California  a  part  of  the  American  Union 
before  Sloat  had  entered  and  taken  possession  of  Mon- 
terey, he  found  himself  superseded  by  the  commodore, 
who,  now  in  the  military  occupation  of  the  country, 
commanded  Fremont  to  report  to  him,  and  demanded 
in  no  mild  terms  by  what  authority  he  was  acting.  Fre- 
mont, chagrined  and  disappointed,  answered,  "Upon 
my  own  authority."  This  was  thought  most  presump- 
tuous on  the  part  of  the  young  captain  of  the  corps  of 


102 


THE    GOLDEN  ^TATE. 


topographical  engineers,  who  had  no  military  authority 
from  his  government.  But  Fremont  had  to  succumb 
to  the  superior  position  of  the  commodore,  who  now 
assumed  the  duties  of  military  governor. 

Fremont  was  now  at  Monterey  at  the  head  of  his 
battalion,  chafing  with  the  mortification  inflicted  upon 
him  .by  Sloat.  The  commodore,  under  his  proclama- 
tion of  July  7,  was  in  supreme  command,  but  ill-health 
prompted  him  to  return  home. 

On  the  15th  of  July,  1847,  Commodore  Stockton,  on 
board  the  United  States  frigate  Co7igress,  arrived  at 
Monterey.  Sloat  turned  over  his  cbmmand  to  Stock- 
ton, who  imniediately  assumed  command  as  Military 
Governor  of  California ;  and,  on  the  28th  of  July,  he 
issued  the  following  proclamation : 

**  On  assuming  the  command  of  the  ibices  of  the  United  States 
on  the  coast  of  California,  both  by  sea  and  land,  I  rind  myself  in 
possession  of  the  ports  of  Monterey  and  San  Francisco,  with  daily 
reports  from  the  interior  of  scenes  of  rapine,  blood,  and  murder. 
Three  inoffensive  American  residents  of  the  country  have  within  a 
few  days  been  murdered  in  a  most  bnital  manner ;  and  there  are 
no  Californian  officers  who  will  arrest  and  bring  the  murderers  to 
justice,  although  it  is  well  known  who  they  are  and  where  they  are. 
I  must,  therefore,  and  will,  as  soon  as  I  can,  adopt  such  measu.  3 
as  may  seem  best  calculated  to  bring  these  criminals  to  justice,  and 
to  bestow  peace  and  good  order  on  the  country. 

"  In  the  first  place,  however,  I  am  constrained  by  every  principle 
of  national  honor,  as  well  as  a  due  regard  for  the  safety  and  best 
interests  of  the  people  of  California,  to  put  an  end,  at  once  and  by 
force,  to  the  lawless  depredations  committed  by  General  Castro's 
men  upon  the  persons  and  property  of  peaceful  and  unoffending 
inhabitants. 

"I  cannot,  therefore,  confine  my  operations  to  the  quiet  and 
undisturbed  possession  of  the  defenceless  ports  of  Monterey  and 
San  Francisco,  whilst  the  people  elsewhere  are  suffering  from  law- 
less violence;  but  will  immediately  march  against  these  boasting 


fro] 

hie 

bo£ 

Di( 

the 


COMMODORE  STOCKTON'S  PROCLAMATION. 


103 


and  abusive  chiefs,  (who  have  not  only  violated  every  principle  of 
national  hospitality  and  good  faith  towards  Captain  Fremont  and 
his  sur\'eying  party,  but  who,  unless  driven  out,  will,  with  the  aid 
of  the  hostile  Indians,  keep  this  beautiful  country  in  a  constant 
state  of  revolution  and  bloodshed,)  as  well  as  against  all  others  who 
may  be  found  in  arms  aiding  and  abetting  General  Castro. 

"The  present  general  of  the  forces  of  California  is  an  usurper; 
has  been  guilty  of  great  oifences;  has  impoverished  and  drained 
the  country  of  almost  its  last  dollar;  and  has  deserted  his  post  now 
when  most  needed.  He  has  deluded  and  deceived  the  inhabitants 
of  California,  and  they  wiih  his  expulsion  from  the  country.  He 
came  into  power  by  rebellion  and  force,  and  by  force  he  must  be 
expelled.  Mexico  appears  to  have  been  compelled,  from  time  to 
time,  to  abandon  California  to  the  mercies  of  any  wicked  man  who 
could  muster  one  hundred  men  in  arms.  The  distances  from  the 
capital  are  so  great  that  she  cannot,  even  in  times  of  great  distress, 
send  timely  aid  to  the  inhabitants;  and  the  lawless  depredations 
upon  their  persons  and  property  go  invariably  unpunished.  She 
cannot  or  will  not  punish  or  control  the  chieftains  who,  one  after 
the  other,  have  defied  her  power  and  kept  California  in  a  constant 
state  of  revolt  and  misery. 

"The  inhabitants  are  tired  and  disgusted  with  this  constant  suc- 
cession of  military  usurpers,  and  this  insecurity  of  life  and  property. 
They  invoke  my  protection.  Therefore  v  jOXi  them  I  will  not  make 
wai.  I  require,  however,  all  officers,  civil  and  military,  and  all 
other  persons,  to  remain  quiet  at  their  respective  homes  and  stations, 
and  to  obey  the  orders  they  may  receive  from  me  or  by  my  author- 
ity ;  and  if  they  do  no  injury  or  violence  to  my  authority,  none 
will  be  done  to  them." 

Commodore  Sloat,  on  the  23d  of  July,  sailed  home 
on  the  Levant^  leaving  Stockton  in  full  command,  who 
immediately  organized  a  battalion  of  mounted  riflemen  ; 
and  Fremont,  who  could  not  even  receive  a  recognition 
from  Sloat,  was  appointed  major,  and,  at  the  head  of 
his  corps  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  embarked  on 
board  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Cyane  for  San 
Diego,  to  quell  a  strong  opposition  organized  against 
the  American  occupation  of  the  country,  headed  by 


104 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


General  Castro,  Governor  Pico,  and  Don  Jc"-^  Marld 
Flores,  whose  forces,  until  January  i6,  1847,  demanded 
all  the  energy  and  vigilance  of  Stockton,  General 
Kearney,  Fremont,  and  Gillespie,  to  hold  them  in  sub- 
jection. The  final  overthrow  of  this  opposition,  ex- 
tending over  a  vast  territory,  deprived  of  every  means 
of  transportation,  with  only  about  three  hundred  men 
against  twelve  huridred  or  fifteen  hundred  well-mounted 
and  most  expert  cavalry  of  the  enemy,  reflects  in  its 
details  the  highest  credit  upon  the  bravery,  skill,  and 
fidelity  of  John  C.  Fremont,  Commodore  Stockton,  and 
their  officers  and  men. 

The  bulletins  and  proclamations  issued  by  the  con- 
tending parties  were  often  of  an  exciti'  j^  and  belliger- 
ent tone ;  a  few  samples  of  which  are  here  given. 

Commodore  Stockton,  on  leaving  Monterey  to  chas- 
tise Castro,  said,  in  one  of  his  proclamations :  "  Imme- 
diately march  against  the  boasting  and  abusive  chiefs, 
who  had  not  only  violated  every  principle  of  national 
hospitality  and  good  faith  toward  Captain  Fremont, 
but  who,  unless  driven  out,  would  keep  this  beautiful 
country  in  a  constant  state  of  revolution  and  blood- 
shed, as  well  as  against  all  others  who  might  be  found 
in  arms  aiding  and  abetting  General  Castro."  And 
again  :  "  Tell  Castro  he  must  unconditionally  surrender, 
or  experience  my  vengeance." 

The  following  proclamation,  issued  by  Flores,  will 
show  how  tenaciously  some  at  least  of  the  native  Cali- 
fornians  opposed  American  occupation  of  California : 

*^ Mexican  Army,  Section  of  Operations, 
"ANGELEr,  October  x,  1846. 

"  Fellcw-Citizens  :  It  is  a  month  and  a  half  that,  by  lament- 
able fatality,  fruit  of  the  cowardice  and  inability  of  the  first  author- 


FLORES'   PROCLAMATION. 


105 


ities  of  the  department,  we  behold  ourselves  subjugated  and  op- 
pressed by  an  insignificant  force  of  adventurers  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  and  placing  us  in  a  worse  condition  than  that 
of  slaves.  • 

"  They  are  dictating  to  us  despotic  and  arbitrary  laws,  and  load- 
ing us  with  contributions  and  onerous  burdens,  which  have  for  an 
object  the  ruin  of  our  industry  and  agriculture,  and  to  fon-:e  us  to 
abandon  our  property,  to  be  possessed  and  divided  amorg  them- 
selves. 

"And  shall  we  be  capable  to  allow  ourselves  to  be  subjugated, 
and  to  accept,  by  our  silence,  the  weighty  chains  of  slavery  ?  Shall 
we  permit  to  be  lost  the  soil  inherited  from  our  fathers,  which  cost 
them  so  much  blood  and  so  many  sacrifices?  Shall  we  make  our 
families  victims  of  die  most  barbarous  slavery?  Shall  we  wait  to 
see  our  wives  violated — our  innocent  children  punished  by  the 
American  whips — our  property  sacked — our  temples  profaned — and, 
lastly,  to  drag  through  an  existence  full  of  insult  and  shame?  No  ! 
a  thousand  times  no  !     Countrymen,  first  death  ! 

"Who  of  you  does  not  feci  his  heart  beat  with  violence,  who 
does  not  feel  his  blood  boil,  to  contemplate  our  situation  ?  And 
who  will  be  the  Mexican  who  will  not  feel  indignant,  and  who  Avill 
not  rise  to  take  up  arms  to  destroy  our  oppressors  ?  We  believe 
there  is  not  one  so  vile  and  cowardly.  With  such  a  motive  the 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  districts,  justly  indignant  against 
our  tyrants,  raise  the  cry  of  war,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  of 
one  accord  swear  to  sustain  the  following  articles : 

"  I.  We,  the  inhabitants  of  the  Department  of  California,  as 
members  of  the  great  Mexican  nation,  declare  that  it  is  and  has 
been  our  wish  to  belong  to  her  alone,  free  and  independent. 

"  2.  Consequently  the  authorities  intended  and  named  by  the 
invading  forces  of  the  United  States  are  held  null  and  void. 

"  3.  All  the  North  Americans  being  enemies  of  Mexico,  we  swear 
not  to  lay  down  our  arms  till  they  are  expelled  from  the  Mexican 
territory. 

"4.  All  Mexican  citizens,  from  the  age  of  fifteen  to  sixty,  who 
do  not  take  up  arms  to  forward  the  present  plan,  are  declared 
traitors,  and  under  pain  of  death. 

"  5.  Every  Mexican  or  foreigner  who  may  directly  or  indirectly 
aid  the  enemies  of  Mexico  will  be  punished  in  the  same  manner. 

"6.  The  property  of  the  North  Americans  in  the  department, 


I 


1 

i 


io6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


who  may  directly  or  indirectly  have  taken  part  with  or  aided  the 
enemies,  shall  be  confiscated,  and  used  for  the  expenses  of  the  war, 
and  their  persons  shall  be  taken  to  the  interior  of  the  republic. 

"7.  All  those  who  may  oppose  the  present  plan  will  be  punished 
with  arms. 

"  8.  All  the  inhabitants  of  Santa  Barbara  and  the  district  of  the 
north  will  be  invited  immediately  to  adhere  to  the  present  plan. 

"Jose  Ma.  Flores. 

••Camp  in  Angeles,  September  24,  1846." 

On  the  1 6th  day  of  January,  1847,  ^^^  war  waged 
by  the  Californians  under  Castro,  Pico,  and  Flores  was 
brought  to  a  close  by  the  flight  of  Flores  to  Mexico, 
and  the  capitulation  of  Castro,  Pico,  and  their  forces  to 
Fremont.  Commissioners  were  appointed  on  both 
sides  to  arrange  terms  of  peace.  The  Californians 
acknowledged  the  supreme  authority  of  the  Americans, 
and  the  Americans  promised  protection  of  life  and 
property  to  all  Californians  and  Mexicans  of  every 
class  and  condition,  regardless  of  former  acts  of  hos- 
tility. All  prisoners  on  both  sides  were  released,  pa- 
roles cancelled,  and  all  parties  to  stand  upon  an  equal 
footing  whilst  submissive  to  the  authority  of  the  United 
States.  This  treaty,  concluded  by  Fremont  while  his 
two  superiors,  Commodore  Stockton  and  General  Kear- 
ney, were  in  the  face  of  the  enemy  but  a  few  miles 
distant,  was  a  bold  and  presumptuous  act,  at  once  defi- 
ant and  destructive  of  the  official  dignity  of  his  supe- 
riors. But  a  victory  so  easily  won,  and  so  effectually 
ending  a  strife  carried  on  under  most  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances by  the  Americans,  and  at  once  placing  the 
flag  of  the  republic  in  triumph  over  so  vast  a  field,  was 
not  to  be  despised ;  and  the  good  sense  of  Stockton 
and  Kearney  led  them  to  accede  to  the  situation,  leav- 
ing to  Fremont  the  laurels  so  boldly  won.    The  Amer- 


TREATY  OF  SETTLEMENT. 


107 


ican  conquest  was  complete,  and  the  war  in  California 
at  an  end. 

Fremont,  on  the  i6th  day  of  January,  1847,  signing 
himself  "  Military  Commandant  of  California,"  approved 
the  treaty,  which  was  signed  on  the  part  of  the  Amer- 
icans by  Major  P.  B.  Reading,  Colonel  W.  H.  Russell, 
and  Captain  Louis  McLean;  and  on  the  part  of  the 
Californians  by  Jose  Antonio  Carrillo,  Augustine  Oli- 
vera,  and  Andres  Pico,  "Commandant  of  Squadron 
and  Chief  of  the  National  Forces  of  California." 

Now  came  a  serious  conflict  of  rank  and  jurisdiction 
between  General  Kearney  and  Commodore  Stockton ; 
Kearney  claiming  that  his  instructions  from  Washington, 
to  take  charge  of  California  and  establish  a  govern- 
ment, placed  him  in  authority  as  military  governor,  and 
the  superior  of  both  Fremont  and  Stockton.  Stockton 
had  taken  possession  of  the  country,  and  was  acting 
as  military  governor  before  Kearney  arrived  in  the 
country,  and  claimed  to  rank  Kearney.  Fremont  de- 
cided to  report  to  Stockton,  which  he  did  on  his  enter- 
ing Los  Angeles,  on  January  14,  1847.  On  the  i6th, 
two  days  later,  Stockton  appointed  Fremont  Military 
Governor,  and  W.  H.  Russell  Secretary,  of  the  new 
Territory.  Stockton  in  a  few  days  departed  from  the 
port  of  San  Pedro  for  the  coast  of  Mexico. 

Fremont  now  found  himself  comfortably  enjoying 
the  dignity  of  governor,  and  the  title  of  the  conqueror 
of  California.  But  there  was  trouble  ahead  little 
dreamed  of.  General  Kearney  was  chafing  at  the 
indignity  offered  him  by  Fremont  reporting  to  Stock- 
ton, and  at  Stockton  placing  Fremont  as  Military 
Governor  of  the  Territory,  and  was  determined  to  be 
revenged. 


loS 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


•  Kearney  departed  ^^-^r  Monterey.  Here  he  found 
Commodore  Shubrick,  on  board  the  United  States  ship 
of  war  Independence.  Kearney  and  Shubrick  were  now 
in  possession  of  official  authority  from  their  govern- 
ment, appointing  the  former  Military  Governor  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  the  latter  supervisor  of  customs,  port  charges, 
and  naval  affairs.  On  the  ist  day  of  March,  1847, 
these  two,  officials  made  a  joint  proclamation,  setting 
forth  their  official  positions,  and  forwarded  a  copy  of 
the  document  to  Governor  Fremont,  whose  brief  gu- 
bernatorial star  of  less  than  two  months  was  eclipsed 
forever.  Kearney,  from  this  date,  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  new  office  as  Military  Governor  of 
California. 

Fremont,  aware  of  the  official  authority  by  which 
Kearney  was  acting,  obeyed  the  orders  of  his  new 
superior;  but  the  officers  and  men  of  Fremont's  battal- 
ion, and  indeed  the  whole  native  population,  felt  so 
indignant  at  what  they  conceived  to  be  ^n  outrage  per- 
petrated on  Fremont,  that  there  was  much  danger  of 
another  outbreak. 

Important  events  were  now  transpiring  with  great 
rapidity.  Colonel  Mason  had  arrived  from  Washington 
with  instructions  to  relieve  General  Kearney,  assume 
military  command,  and  relieve  Fremont  from  .all  con- 
nection with  the  army,  allowing  him  either  to  pursue 
his  explorations  northward  or  to  join  his  regiment  and 
obey  the  commands  of  the  new  military  governor. 
Here  ended  the  two  months  military  reign  of  General 
Kearney,  who,  on  the  igth  of  June,  1847,  started  on 
his  journey  overland  to  Washington,  compelling  the 
ill-treated  Fremont  to  turn  over  to  another  his  survey- 
ing instruments,  sold  all  the  horses  he  had  collected, 


OFFICIAL  FEUDS. 


;09 


refused  him  permission  to  join  his  (Kearney's)  regi- 
ment, and  obliged  him  to  follow  in  the  wake  of  his 
(Kearney's)  trail  across  the  plains,  and  to  encamp  at 
night  never  more  than  one  mile  from  Kearney.  This 
was  a  most  humiliating  position,  but  Fremont  was 
obeying  the  orders  of  his  superior  officer.  Kearney 
was  determined  to  crush  him,  and  at  Fort  Leavenworth 
Fremont  was  arrested,  carried  to  Fortress  Monroe, 
where  a  court-martial  found  him  guilty  of  disobedience 
mutinous  and  disorderly  conduct,  and  sentenced  him  to 
forfeit  his  commission.  President  Polk,  however,  ap- 
proving the  findings  and  decisions,  discharged  Fremont 
from  arrest,  and  requested  him  to  report  for  duty ;  but 
Fremont,  regarding  the  whole  situation  as  an  outrage 
and  an  insult,  resigned  his  commission,  and  returned 
to  private  life:  not  to  be  forgotten,  however,  for  the 
majority  of  the  people  of  the  country  considered  him 
the  pioneer  conqueror  of  California,  and  a  much-abused 
man,  and,  in  respect  of  his  eminent  service,  and  the 
sympathy  consequent  upon  a  real  or  supposed  perse- 
cution, he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  ticket  for 
President  of  the  United  States  by  the  Republicans  in 
1857,  when-  he  received  1,341,514  of  the  popular  vote 
to  1,832,232  by  Buchanan,  the  successful  Democratic 
candidate. 


no 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Colonel  Mason  and  General  Riley  in  command  of  the  government 
of  California — End  of  the  Mexican  war — Acquisition  of  Texas 
and  New  Mexico —Treaty  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico 
— Boundary  established — Convention  to  frame  a  State  Constitu- 
tion meets  at  Monterey — California  admitted  into  the  Union—- 
Treaty  between  England  and  the  United  States  defining  western 
boundary — Claims  of  Portugal  to  California — Claims  of  Spain — 
Pope  Alexander  VI  settles  the  dispute — Treaty  between  Spain 
and  Portugal-^A  bull  from  the  Pope — Chain  of  title  to  California 
— Speech  of  Hon.  Thomas  H.  Benton  on  the  boundary  question 
— Treaty  stipulations  —  Rulers  under  Spanish,  Me?xican,  and 
United  States  governments  in  California — English,  French,  and 
American  Consuls  in  California. 

Colonel  Richard  B,  Mason,  who  succeeded  General 
Kearney  as  Military  Governor  of  California,  assumed 
command  on  the  31st  of  May,  1847,  ^^^  continued  in 
office  until  the  13th  day  of  April,  1849 ;  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  General  Bennet  Riley,  who  entered  upon 
the  office  of  military  governor,  under  whose  administra- 
tion affairs  were  conducted  until  California  was  admitted 
as  a  State  into  the  Union,  on  the  9th  of  September, 
1850. 

The  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico, 
which  began  by  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto,  on  the  8th  of 
May,  1846,  and  ended  with  the  fall  of  the  city  of  Mexico, 
on  the  14th  of  September>  1847,  ^"d  which  secured 
to  the  United  States  Texas  and  New  Mexico,  afforded 
little  opportunity  for  the  government  to  quell  disturb- 
ances or  establish  a  government  in  the  then  inaccessi- 
ble land  of  California. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war,  a  treaty  was  entered 
into  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  defining 


DENNISON'S    exchange   and   the   I'ARKER    HOUSE,  SAN    FRANCISCO. 
(Before  the  Fire  of  December  1849.     Parker  House  rented  for  #120,000  a  year  in  1849. 


ISLAND    AND    COVE   OF    YERBU    BURNA,  IN    1847, 
(City  of  San  Francisco  built  on  the  Cnvc  ) 


th. 

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procla 

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of  a  ci 

Septer 


MILITARY  RULE  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


Ill 


the  southern  boundary  of  the  United  States,  and  ceding 
a  vast  portion  of  the  northern  territory  of  Mexico.  By 
the  terms  of  this  treaty,  the  line  dividing  the  republic 
of  Mexico  and  the  United  States  was  declared  to  be 
the  Rio  Grande,  to  the  thirty-second  parallel ;  thence 
westward  along  the  southern  line  of  New  Mexico  to 
the  Gila  river;  thence  following  that  stream  until  it 
joined  the  Rio  Colorado;  thence  westward  to  the 
Pacific  ocean  south  of  San  Diego  about  one  league,  and 
in  latitude  thirty-two  and  a-half;  the  United  States 
paying  fifteen  million  dollars  to  Mexico,  and  adopting 
the  claims  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  against  that 
country.  This  treat)',  ceding  New  Mexico  and  Cali- 
fornia, and  defining  the  southern  boundary  of  the  United 
States,  was  dated  at  the  city  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo, 
February  2,  1848;  exchanged  at  Queretaro,  May  30, 
1848;  ratified  by  the  United  States,  March  16,  1848; 
and  officially  proclaimed  by  the  President,  July  4,  1848; 
and  thus  the  title  of  the  United  States  to  New  Mexico 
and  California  was  complete. 

Meantime,  General  Riley,  as  military  governor,  con- 
tinued to  rule  California.  On  June  3,  he  issued  a  proc- 
lamation calling  a  State  Convention  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. The  convention  assembled  at  Monterey, 
on  Monday,  September  i,  1849.  The  constitution  was 
adopted  October  10,  1849,  ^"^^  ratified  November  13, 
1 849.  On  the  20th  of  December,  1 849,  General  Riley 
proclaimed  the  election  of  the  new  governor  under  the 
constitution,  and  resigned  his  posidon  as  military  gov- 
ernor ;  and,  by  act  of  the  United  States  Congress,  Cali- 
fornia, without  going  through  the  probationary  stages 
of  a  civil  territorial  government,  was,  on  the  9th  day  of 
September,  1850,  admitted  into  the  Union. 


112 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


During  the  early  part  of  the  conquest  of  California, 
the  western  boundary  of  the  whole  American  posses- 
sions was  undefined,  and  a  source  of  danger  between 
England  and  the  United  States;  but  happily,  on  the 
15th  of  June,  1846,  a  treaty  was  concluded  between  the 
two  nations,  confirming  the  western  boundary  of  the 
American  republic,  and  also  confirming  the  title  of  the 
United  States  to  the  Territory  of  Oregon,  the  boundary 
line  being  "the  forty-ninth  degree  of  latitude  from  the 
Stony  mountains  west  to  the  middle  of  the  channel 
which  separates  Vancouver  island  from  the  continent ; 
thence  southerly  through  the  middle  of  the  channel 
and  to  Fuca  straits  to  the  Pacific  ocean." 

The  more  fully  to  define  and  illustrate  to  the  roader 
the  origin  of  the  legal  Spanish  and  American  titles  to 
California,  and  to  understand  the  chain  of  titles,  let  it 
be  remembered  that  the  Portuguese,  previous  to  the 
discovery  of  America  by  Columbus  in  1492,  had  dis- 
covered the  Azore  islands,  i }  longitude  thirty-one  west ; 
in  consequence  of  which,  all  ^he  discoveries  made  by 
Columbus  were  claimed  10  belong  to  the  crown  of 
Portugal,  and  that  Spain  had  no  title  to  them  and  that 
her  subjects  should  be  excluded  from  these  possessions. 
This  proposition  was  rejected  by  Spain.  The  dispute 
upon  the  right  of  possession  between  Spain  and  Por- 
tugal to  these  countries  was  referred  to  Pope  Alexander 
VI — the  law  of  nations  and  the  adopted  law  of  the 
world  then  recognizing  the  pope  as  the  ultimate  source 
of  all  temporal  power.  He  was  king  of  kings,  making 
and  unmaking  them  and  their  possessions  at  will,  with- 
out, recourse  upon  the  part  of  the  dethroned.  The 
origin  and  source  of  all  landed  titles  was  -conceded  to 
be  in  his  infallible  holiness. 


7777;^    TO  CALIFORNIA. 


113 


On  the  3cl  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1493,  the  pope  rendered 
his  decision  between  the  crowns  of  Spain  and  Portugal. 
By  his  decree,  all  countries  inhabited  by  infidels,  already 
discovered  by  or  which  might  be  discovered  by  the 
Spanish,  west  of  one  hundred  leagues  west  of  the 
Azores,  he  granted  to  Spain ;  and  all  lying  east  of  that 
line  to  Portugal.  In  1494,  a  treaty  between  the  Kings 
of  Spain  uid  Portugal  moved  this  boundary  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  leagues  further  west.  The  bounda- 
ries thus  established  continued  to  be  respected  by  all 
nations;  and,  when  an  infringement  of  it  was  attempted 
through  the  avarice  of  King  Henry  VII  of  England,  who 
attempted  to  possess  himself  of  a  portion  of  the  terri- 
tory granted  to  Spain,  a  bull  from  his  holiness  the  pope 
caused  him  to  abandon  his  designs.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  chain  of  title  to  California  was,  first,  by 
the  discoveries  of  Spain  and  Portugal ;  then  by  the 
decree  and  division  by  Pope  Alexander  granting  it  to 
Spain ;  from  Spain  to  Mexico  by  revolution ;  from 
Mexico  by  conquest  and  treaty  to  the  United  States. 

In  conjunction  and  illustration  of  the  foregoing  his- 
tory of  American  title  and  claim  to  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  the  republic,  the  following  extracts  from  a 
speech  delivered  in  the  United  States  Senate,  on  the 
1 2th  day  of  January,  1843,  by  the  Hon.  Thomas  H. 
Benton,  may  serve  a  good  purpose. 

Mr.  Benton,  speaking  upon  the  northern  boundary 
question,  said: 

" — The  treaties  of  1803  and  1819;  the  former  with  France,  by 
which  we  acquired  Louisiana;  the  latter  with  Spain,  by  which  we 
acquired  all  her  rights  on  the  northwest  coast  of  America  north  of 
forty-two  degrees.  By  the  first  of  these  treaties  we  became  a  party 
to  the  tenth  article  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht  between  France  and 


114 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


\l 


England,  the  treaty  of  peace  of  17 14,  which  terminated  the  wars 
of  Queen  Anne  and  Louis  XIV,  and  settled  all  their  differences  of 
every  kind  in  Europe  and  America,  and  undertook  to  prevent  the 
recurrence  of  future  differences  between  them.  The  tenth  article 
of  this  treaty  applied  to  their  settlements  and  territories  in  North 
America,  and  directed  commissioners  to  be  appointed  to  mark  and 
define  their  possessions.  These  commissioners  did  their  work. 
They  firew  a  line  from  ocean  to  ocean,  to  separate  tlie  French  an,d 
British  dominions,  and  to  prevent  further  encroachments  and  col- 
lisions. This  line  began  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and  followed 
a  course  slightly  southwest  to  the  centre  of  Nor^h  America,  leaving 
the  British  settlements  of  Hudson  bay  to  the  north,  and  the  French 
Canadian  possessions  to  the  south.  This  line  took  for  a  landmark 
the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  which  was  then  believed  to  be  due  east 
from  the  head  of  t'l :  Mississippi ;  and  from  that  point  took  the 
forty-ninth  parallel  of  latitude  indefinitely  to  the  west.  The  langut"'e 
is  ^indefinitely;^  and  this  established  the  northern  boundary  of 
Louisiana,  and  erected  a  wall  beyond  which  future  French  settle- 
ments could  not  cross  to  the  north  nor  British  to  the  south. 

"As  purchasers  of  Louisiana,  the  treaty  of  1803  made  us  a  party 

to  the  tenth  article  of  the  treaty  of  Utrecht,  and  made  the  forty-ninth 

,  parallel  the  same  to  us  and  the  British  which  it  had  been  to  the  French 

and  the  British :  it  became  a  wall  which  neither  party  could  pass, 

so  far  as  it  depended  upon  that  lino." 

California,  from  her  permanent  occupation  by  Spain 
and  the  establishment  of  her  rule  in  1767,  to  1822 — a 
term  of  fifty-five  years — had  ten  Governors.  Under 
twenty-four  years  of  Mexican  rule — from  1822  to  184.6 
.  — she  had  thirteen  governors;  and  under  the  American 
military  rule  of  four  years — from  July  7,  1846,  to  Sep- 
tember 9,  1850 — had  six  military  governors. 

But  three  nations  had  :ippointed  consuls  in  Caiifor  lia 
previous  to  the  American  occupation  of  the  coui  try. 
In  1843,  Thomas  O.  Larkin,  an  American,  who  an  ived 
in  California  in  1836,  was  appointed  United  Sates 
consul   which  office  he  held  until  July  7,  1846,  when 


CONSULS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


I'S 


Commodore  Sloat  took  possession  of  the  country  in 
the  name  of  the  United  States.  In  1844,  James  A. 
Forbes  was  appointed  the  first  consul  from  Great 
Britain,  which  office  he  still  held  at  the  time  of  the 
American  occupation.  In  May,  1845,  Don  Louis  Gas- 
quet  was  appointed  French  consul,  which  office  he  held 
until  1847,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  M.  Movenhaut. 
All  these  officers  resided  at  the  Mexican  capital  of  the 
Territory,  Monterey. 


1 


ii6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

California  under  American  rule — Population  in  1842  and  1845 — 
Arrival  of  Mormons  at  San  Francisco — Population  in  1848 — In 
1870 — Composition  of  population  of  San  Francisco  in  1842 — 
Establishment  of  Mission  Dolores — First  house  built  in  San  Fran- 
cisco— First  child  born — Hudson  Bay  Company  at  San  Francisco 
— First  newspaper  in  California — First  school — First  Protestant 
minister — First  Protestant  chv.rch — First  steamboat — Discovery 
of  gold — Sutter  and  Marshall — First  mining — Rush  to  the  mines 
— Official  notice  of  the  gold  discovery — Early  gold-seekers — 
Advent  of  the  Chinese. 

No  sooner  was  California  in  the  possession  of  the 
Americans,  and  the  Hag  of  the  republic  waving  its  pro- 
tecting folds  over  the  land,  than  new  life  was  infused 
into  every  branch  of  commerce,  trade,  and  industry ; 
and  the  Spanish,  Mexicans,  and  Indians  began  to  seek 
seclusion  or  oblivion  before  the  march  of  the  invader, 
who  laughed  at  the  tame  realities  of  life,  so  soon  to  give 
place  to  scenes  of  commercial  enterprise,  industry, 
speculation,  and  wild  excitement  hitherto  unknown  in 
the  annals  of  history. 

The  total  white  population  of  California,  in  1845,  ^s 
estimated  to  have  been  about  eight  thousand.  During 
the  years  1 846  and  1 847,  considerable  emigration  had 
found  its  way  from  Oregon,  over  the  Rocky  mountains, 
and  by  sea. 

On  the  31st  of  July,  1846,  the  ship  Brooklyn,  from 
New  York,  with  about  two  hundred  and  thirty  Mor- 
mons, under  the  leadership  of  Samue^  Brra\niiri,  jrrived 
at  San  Francisco,  with  the  intention  of  foiinding  r  /Tor- 
mon  settlement. 

At  the  beginning  of  1848.  it  was  estimated  that  the 


'-?:t^; 


SUTTER  S    MILL,  WHERE   MARSHALL    niSCOVERED   THE    ITRST   GOLD    IN 
CALIFORNIA,  JANUARY    I9,   1848. 


1 


TRONT    STRFFT.  SArRAMFNl  1    riTY,   l8^0. 


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POPULATION  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


117 


whole  white  population  of  California,  of  all  nations,  was 
about  fourteen  thousand.  At  this  period  (1870)  it  is 
about  six  hundred  thousand.  The  population  of  San 
Francisco,  in  1842,  was  only  one  hundred  and  ninety-six 
persons — seventy-six  men,  forty-two  women,  forty-two 
boys,  and  thirty-six  girls.  The  census  taken  in  this 
year  gives  the  name,  age,  birthplace,  sex,  and  occupation 
of  each  person,  in  which  there  were  in  all  but  twenty- 
six  foreigners,  as  follows :  ten  Amei  leans,  four  English- 
men, four  Sandwich  Islanders,  two  Germans,  two  Irish- 
men, and  of  Manilla,  Peru,  France,  and  Scotland,  one 
each.  No  lawyers,  insurance  agents,  dentists,  tailors, 
hatters,  dressriakers,  real  estate  agents,  doctors,  or 
undertakers  appear  in  the  list.  The  marked  improve- 
ment and  growth  of  San  Francisco  continued  steadily 
from  the  date  of  the  American  conquest  Although  the 
Mission  Dolores  (now  in  the  city  limits  of  San  Fran- 
cisco) was  established  in  1776,  there  was  not  a  solitary 
sign  of  life  or  settlement  about  the  bay  or  beach  of 
Yerba  Buena  cove,  now  the  heart  of  the  city  of  San 
Francisco,  until  1835,  when  a  tent  made  of  old  sails 
was  erected  by  Captain  W.  A.  Richardson.  On  the 
4th  of  July  of  the  following  year,  Jacob  P.  Leese  erected 
a  small  frame  building  adjoining  Richardson's  house,  in 
which  was  born,  April  15,  1838,  Rosalie  Leese,  the  first 
child  born  at  Yerba  Buena,  (good  herb,)  now  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  the  city  was  started.  At  this  point,  a  small 
depot  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  was  established, 
which,  however,  disappeared  in  1846.  In  January,  1847, 
San  Francisco  had  a  population  of  four  hundred  and 
fifty-nine  persons  of  all  classes — three  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  males  and  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
females  :  of  these  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  were 


t 


\  \ 


ii8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


whites,  thirty-four  Indians,  forty  Sandwich  Islanders, 
and  ten  negroes — eighty-four  colored.  The  whites 
represented  the  following  nations :  United  States,  two 
hundred  and  twenty-eight;  California,  thirty-eight; 
Mexico,  two ;  Canada,  five ;  Chili,  two ;  England, 
twenty-two ;  Germany,  twent)^-seven ;  France,  three ; 
Ireland,  fourteen  ;  Scotland,  fourteen ;  Switzerland,  six; 
at  sea,  four ;  and  of  New  Holland,  New  Zealand,  Malta, 
Denmark,  Peru,  Russia,  Poland,  Sweden,  and  West 
Indies,  one  each.  At  this  period  the  trades  and  pro- 
fessions were  beginning  to  be  represented :  a  minister, 
a  schoolmaster,  two  surveyors,  three  lawyers,  and  three 
doctors  represented  the  professions ;  many  of  the  trades 
were  represented. 

A  weekly  nev-jpaper,  published  by  Samuel  Brannan 
and  edited  by  E.  P.  Jones,  called  the  California  Star, 
was  the  first  newspaper  published  in  San  Francisco ; 
but  as  early  as  August  15,  1846,  Messrs.  Colton  and 
Semple  had  started  the  Califoifiian — the  first  paper 
published  in  California — at  Monterey.  In  May,  1847, 
this  journal  was  transferred  to  San  Francisco. 

San  Francisco  was  fast  assuming  a  city  appearance. 
In  March,  1848,  it  contained  two  hundred  houses,  and 
a  population  of  eight  hundred  and  fift}'^  souls.  A  public 
school — the  first  in  California — had  been  opened  on  the 
3d  of  April,  1848,  by  Thomas  Douglas.  On  November 
15,  1848,  the  first  steamer  ever  upon  the  waters  of  San 
Francisco  bay — a  small  boat  taken  from  Sitka  by  Cap- 
tain Leidesdorff — madf  a  trial  trip  around  the  bay.  In 
October,  1848,  the  first  Protestant  church  in  California 
was  established  by  Rev.  T.  D wight  Hunt  at  San  Fran- 
cisco. Mr.  Hunt  was  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who 
came  from  the  Sandwich  islands,  and  was  the  first  Prot- 


toCai 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD. 


119 


estant  minister  in  California.  There  was  no  regular 
church  organization :  Mr.  Hunt  preached  in  the  school- 
house,, 

Although  the  first  gold  had  been  discovered  by  James 
W.  Marshall,  at  Sutter's  mill,  on  the  American  river,  as 
early  as  the  19th  of  January,  1848,  no  news  of  the  fact 
had  reached  San  Francisco  until  February  following, 
vv'hen  the  crash  came  which  sent  its  echo  throughout 
the  world,  and  drew  within  the  circle  of  California  people 
of  every  part  of  the  globe.  The  great  event  which 
brought  the  almost  unknown  and  distant  land  of  Cali- 
fornia to  the  notice  of  the  world,  and  produced  In  so 
brief  a  period  such  scenes  of  excitement  and  commer- 
cial advantages,  was  the  discovery  of  gold. 

In  the  fall  of  1847,  Captain  John  A.  Sutter,  a  Swiss 
by  birth,  and  a  man  of  great  adventure  and  many  ster- 
ling; qualities,  who  arrived  in  San  Francisco  July  2,  1839, 
and  located  in  the  following  year  at  Neiu  Helvetia,  near 
Sacramento,  was  erecting  a  saw-mill  at  a  place  called 
Coloma,  about  fifty  miles  east  of  Sacramento  City,  on 
the  American  river,  which  empties  into  the  Sacramento. 
James  W.  Marshall  had  contracted  for  the  erecting  of 
the  mill,  and  he  and  his  men  were  at  work  in  cutting 
and  widening  the  tail-race:  to  effect  this,  he  let  the 
water  of  the  river  through  the  cut,  which  in  its  course 
carried  away  quantities  of  earth  and  sand.  In  cleaning 
portions  of  this  away,  Marshall  observed  some  particles 
of  yellow  glittering  substance:  these  he  examined 
through  curiosity.  This  was  on  the  19th  day  of  Janu- 
ary, 1848.  A  piece  of  gold,  weighing  about  six  penny- 
weights, was  carried  by  Marshall,  in  about  two  weeks, 
to  Captain  Sutter,  who  examined  it  without  much  belief 


i  1 


I20 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  its  value.  Much  doubt  of  its  being  gold  still  rested 
among  all  who  saw  the  "stuff;"  and  Sutter  seems  to 
have  regarded  Marshall  as  insane  when  he  insisted  tliat 
it  was  gold. 

In  February  following,  specimens  of  the  new  discovery- 
were  carried  to  San  Francisco.  Here  an  old  Georgian 
gold-miner — Isaac  Humphrey — saw  it,  and  at  sight 
pronounced  it  gold,  and  at  once  prepared  to  start  for 
the  new  gold-fields.  His  persuasions  failed  to  induce 
any  of  his  friends  to  accompany  him :  they  laughed  at 
the  idea,  so  he  was  compelled  to  start  alone ;  and,  on 
the  7th  of  March,  1848,  reached  the  place  of  discovery. 
The  news  had  now  spread  among  the  workmen  and 
others  in  the  vicinity  of  the  discovery  of  "  some  curious 
yellow  stuff."  Humphrey,  on  March  8,  commenced 
prospecting,  and  soon  confirmed  his  belief  of  the  nature 
of  the  discovery.  Soon  the  workmen  abandoned  the 
sawing  of  the  lumber  and  erecting  of  the  mill,  and 
plunged  into  the  new  labor,  now  paying  from  five  to 
fifty  dollars  per  day  to  the  hand.  Through  the  spring 
and  summer  of  1848,  the  news  of  the  discovery  reached 
San  Francisco  and  every  hamlet  in  California  and  Ore- 
gon, and  the  excitement  became  intense;  and  from 
every  direction  the  pilgrims  wended  their  way  to  the 
new  Mecca — the  gold-fields.  The  scattering  popula- 
tion of  the  valleys  caught  up  the  excitement:  wild  stories 
of  fabulous  discoveries  had  reached  them :  fields  of 
standing  grain  were  left  to  fall  to  the  ground ;  cattle, 
farms,  wives,  and  children,  all  abandoned.  The  news 
continued  to  spread.  Quantities  of  the  precious  metal 
were  in  the  hands  of  miners,  reporting  that  all  could 
make  from  ten  to  one  hundred  dollars  a  day ;  in  some 


JAMKS   W.  MARSHALL,  DISCOVKRER  OF  CJOLU   IN   CALIKOKMa,  JANUAKV    I9,  1S48' 


!         i 


"HONF5T    miners"    GOINU    HOME,  IN    I850. 


¥ 


SURFACE   GOLD    MINING    IN    CALIFORNIA    IN    1 849. 


INTERIOR    t)F   TIIK  "  LL  DORADO,"    GAMnLING    HOISF.. 
(On  Keamey  Street  facing  the  Plaza,  in  »?<;;.., 


I 


RUSH  FOR   THE   GOLD  MINES. 


121 


cases,  many  thousands.  This  was  too  much.  Who 
could  endure  it?  A  dollar  and  a  dollar  and  a-half  per 
day  were  the  wages  of  laborers  and  mechanics  at  San 
Francisco.  It  was  only  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
up  the  river  to  Sacramento,  and  from  there  a  few  miles 
to  the  mines.  All  hands — the  schoolmaster,  butcher, 
baker,  lawyer,  doctor,  and  merchant — started  up  the 
Sacramento  river.  The  whole  village  was  on  the  march : 
only  the  few  women  and  children  remained.  The  two 
n^vspaper  offices  closed :  even  the  devil  was  amongst 
them,  as  some  of  them  fully  realized  before  they  got 
through.  Oregon's  sturdy  settlers  made  their  long 
pilgrimage  from  the  north,  over  snow-capped  moun- 
tains and  lonely  deserts.  Up  from  the  lower  portion 
of  the  State  came  the  native  Californian  mounted  on 
his  faithful  steed,  the  half-breed,  and  the  Indian.  Now 
from  Mexico  came  the  miner,  vaquero,  and  desperado. 
Up  from  Chili  and  Peru  came  the  speculator,  gambler, 
and  courtesan.  Over  the  Rocky  mountains  came  the 
long  lines  of  the  emigrant  trains,  working  their  tedious 
march  over  almost  precipitous  mountains  ci  ternal 
snows  and  arid  deserts  of  alkali  and  quicksands,  leaving 
behind  them  the  new-made  grave,  and  the  bleaching 
bones  of  their  famished  and  overburdened  brutes,  to 
tell  the  sad  story  of  their  weary  journey,  and  to  mark 
the  path  of  the  future  traveller  over  the  sandy  deserts 
of  the  Humboldt. 

The  few  vessels  that  could  find  sailors  to  take  them 
from  the  coast  spread  the  news  wherever  they  touched. 
The  Inhabitants  of  the  lonely  and  unfrequented  islands 
of  the  seas  heard  the  glad  tidings  of  the  land  of  gold. 

Qfficial  announcement  was  made  of  the  rich  dis- 


'i 


I- 


122* 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


coveries  in  the  halls  of  Congress;  and,  as  the  news 
spread  through  the  American  republic,  the  people 
seemed  spell-bound  and  charmed — maddened  to  em- 
brace the  element  of  social  power.  The  peculiar  men- 
tal and  physical  temperament  of  the  American,  his 
activity,  and  excitability,  well  fitted  him  to  become  the 
subject  of  what  now  assumed  the  form  of  a  painful 
disease.  No  class  was  exempt  from  the  ravages  of  the 
new  mania ;  so,  from  Maine  to  the  Mississippi,  occupa- 
tions were  abandoned ;  the  judge,  lawyer,  doctor,  mer- 
chant, banker,  mechanic,  farmer,  mariner,  and  laborer 
bade  adieu  to  startled  friends,  hurriedly  kissed  weeping 
wife  and  child,  bade  them  farewell,  and  across  the 
plains,  over  the  Isthmus,  around  the  Horn,  joined  the 
hurrying  throng,  bound  for  California. 

From  England,  Germany,  France,  Russia,  and  Spain, 
came  the  gold-seeker.  Australia  and  Van  Dieman's 
Land  let  loose  their  penal  colonists.  The  islands  of 
the  sea  sent  forth  their  strange-looking  inhabitants  of 
various  hues,  complexions,  and  tongues.  The  Turk 
and  the  Greek  joined  in  the  throng.  From  across  the 
deep  sea  came  a  strange  people,  the  seal  of  whose 
national  exclusivenes«i  had  never  been  broken  until 
touched  by  the  magic  shock  of  gold  in  the  sands  and 
hills  of  the  new  world.  They  were  a  peculiar  people. 
The  similarity  of  physical  organization,  the  long,  coarse, 
black  hair  braided  in  a  solitary  cue  behind,  with  shaven 
crown,  almond  eye,  yellow  face,  and  mechanical,  meas- 
ured step,  told  of  a  race  whose  primeval  order  had 
never  been  disturbed  by  any  other  branch  of  the  human 
family.  Their  strange  and  inharmonious  voice  and  un- 
known tongue  seemed  to  startle  the  most  stoical  of  all 


EARLY  GOLD  HUNTERS. 


123 


the  races  of  men,  whilst  their  singular  costume  gave 
them  more  the  appearance  of  beings  of  another  sphere 
than  the  inhabitants  of  earth.  In  silent,  sullen  mood 
with  all  mankind,  and  without  knowing  the  sound  of  a 
voice  of  any  of  the  many  nationalities  with  whom  they 
were  to  associate,  or  being  able  to  convey  either  by 
word  or  gesture  a  single  thought,  want,  or  idea  to  any 
save  their  own  race,  they,  v/ith  their  kettles,  rice,  hea- 
then gods,  and  chop-sticks,  joinec^  in  the  ever-lengthen- 
ing procession  of  strange-looking  beings,  and  set  their 
face  towards  the  reputed  land  of  gold. 


! 


124 


VHE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Population  of  California  in  1849 — Rush  to  the  mines — Gold  yield 
of  1848 — Population  and  scenes  of  San  Francisco  in  1849 — Ships 
for  California  —  Overland  emigration  —  Across  the  Isthmus — 
Arrival  of  first  steamer — Commerce  in  1849 — Occupations  of  the 
people — Gray-shirt  brigade — Ships  at  a  discount — Up  the  Sacra- 
mento river — Early  disappointments — Gambling — Gold  product 
— Gold  excitements — Honesty  of  the  "forty-niners" — Lynch 
law — Prices  in  the  mines — Cultivation  of  the  soil — Cattle — Et,^s 
— Fruit — All  "going  home  in  the  spring" — Indians  in  the  mines 
— Yankee  speculators — Suffering  and  disappointments  in  the  mints 
— Miners  going  home. 

The  year  1849  ^^  a  period  ever  memorable  in  the 
history  of  California;  and  there  are  few  portions  of  the 
civilized  globe  which  cannot  find  among  its  inhabitants 
those  who  can  date  from  that  year  the  departure  of 
dear  friends  bound  for  California  whose  faces  they  have 
never  again  beheld. 

The  excitement  of  the  gold  discovery  in  1848  had, 
up  to  January  i,  1849,  more  than  doubled  the  popula- 
tion of  California.  At  this  period  the  total  population 
was  estimated  at  twenty-six  thousand — thirteen  thou- 
sand natives,  eight  thousand  Americans,  and  five  thou- 
sand of  all  other  nations.  During  the  year  1848,  ten 
million  dollars  in  gold  had  been  extracted  from  the 
mines,  principally  from  the  Yuba,  Feather,  and  Ameri- 
can rivers,  and  the  gulches  thereabout;  the  rocker, 
shovel,  prospeccing-pan,  and  crevice-knife,  being  the 
only  machinery  employed. 

In  San  Francisco  and  throughout  the  country  the 
excitement  was  intense,  but,  up  to  the  spring  of  1849, 
it  was  confined  to  the  small  population  on  the  coast, 
most  of  whom  had  been  in  California  for  many  years. 


■p'TPiif'-: 


I 


SAN    FRANCISCO    IN    1849. 


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CELEBRATINC.   THK   FIRST    FOWRTH    OF   JULY,  AT   THE   FIRST    IKWSK 
IN    SAN    FRANCISCO,   I836. 


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being: 

fewac 

and  s£ 


EARLY  GOLD  EXCITEMEN j.:. 


125 


But,  in  the  spring  of  1849,  there  was  a  new  stimulus. 
The  city  of  San  Francisco,  in  January,  1849,  had  a 
population  of  two  thousand,  most  of  whom  were  pre- 
paring to  go  to  the  mines  when  the  rainy  season  would 
be  over.  How  little  did  they  dream  of  the  flood  of 
human  beings  to  be  let  loose  upon  them  !  Already  the 
ocean  was  dotted  with  sails  from  every  nation  of  the 
globe,  all  heading  for  distant  California.  The  gallant 
ship,  with  impatient  crew  and  passengers,  was  buffeting 
the  gales  of  Cape  Horn,  or  seek' ng  a  passage  through 
Magellan's  straits.  The  trade  winds  of  the  North 
Pacific  were  bearing  before  them  hordes  of  strange 
beings  from  Asia  and  the  islands  of  the  seas.  The 
eager  Yankee,  with  bowie-knife  and  revolver  attached, 
was  threading  the  serpentine  rse  of  the  miasmatic 
C.  ''gres,  or  belaboring  his  stubborn  mul'^  through  the 
jungles  of  the  Isthmus;  or,  by  the  tedious  journey  of 
the  plains,  following  the  dusty  line  of  the  meandering 
ox-team,  as  he  anxiously  cast  his  wistful  eyes  toward 
the  promised  land  in  the  direction  of  the  setting  "^im. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1849,  the  pioneer  steamship 
of  the  ocean  line  of  American  passenger  ships — TJu 
California — arrived  at  San  Francisco  from  New  Yr  v. 
She  was  followed  by  the  steamship  Oregon  trom 
New  York,  which,  with  three  hundred  and  fifty  pas- 
sengers, arrived  en  the  31st  of  March  following.  The 
steamship  Panama,  with  a  load  of  passengers,  arrived 
August  4. 

The  floodgates  of  commerce  and  population  were 
now  open,  and  through  them  poured  a  torrent  of  human 
beings  upon  the  little  village  of  San  Francisco,  with  its 
few  adobe  and  frame  houses,  nestling  around  the  beach 
and  sand-hills.     Ships  were  daily  arriving  with  full  car- 


126 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


goes  of  merchandise :  no  wharves,  warehouses,  stores, 
streets,  offices,  lumber,  or  labor  were  to  be  had  at  any 
price.  July,  1849,  found  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco 
filling  with  the  ships  of  every  nation,  and  the  Golden 
Gate  received  a  continuous  stream  of  shipping.  The 
flags  of  every  nation,  v/ith  the  peculiar  marine  architec- 
ture, customs,  costumes,  and  language  of  the  new- 
comers, lent  a  romantic  aspect  to  a  scene  fearfully  wild 
and  disordered,  in  consequence  of  the  haste  and  anxiety 
of  all  to  start  for  the  mines ;  for  now  the  most  fabulous 
stories,  with  the  fact  of  the  arrival  of  millions  of  dollars 
in  gold-dust,  wrought  the  public  mind  into  a  feverish 
delirium.  Five  hundred  square-rigged  vessels  lay  in 
the  harbor,  with  half  a  mile  of  mud-flats  between  them 
and  high-water  mark — Montgomery  street;  but  one 
wharf,  Broadway,  to  accommodate  this  fleet.  Agents 
and  consignees  of  these  valuable  '^hips  and  cargoes 
found  the  crews  (sometimes  including  officers)  take 
to  the  small  boats  as  soon  as  the  anchor  was  dropped, 
and  head  for  the  Sacramento  river  toward  the  new 
diggings.  Lighters,  scows,  and  boats  had  to  land  these 
cargoes,  but  what  could  be  done  ?  Of  the  few  convey- 
ances of  this  character,  none  could  be  had  but  at  fabu- 
lous prices.  Laborers,  who,  a  year  ago,  would  have 
been  glad  to  have  received  one  dollar  and  a-half  a  day, 
now  demanded  from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars.  There 
were  no  laborers :  one  rr:an  was  as  i;ood  as  another — 
they  were  "in  a  free  country:"  whf-  would  labor  for 
hire,  when  he  could  go  to  tha  mines  :md  become  a  millio7i- 
naire?  Still  they  came:  more  ships,  more  people; 
no  room,  no  lodgings,  no  lumber,  nobody  to  saw  lum- 
ber ;  no  forests  supposed  tc  be  in  the  country,  nobody 
thinking  2}oo\iX  forests.     Carpenters,  blacksmiths,  team- 


EARLY  GOLD  EXCITEMENT. 


127 


sters,  clerks,  sailors,  or  soldiers,  as  scon  as  they  touched 
land — all  became  miners.     Ho  I  for  the  mines ! 

The  scramble  now  became  powerfully  intense :  every- 
body on  the  run  unless  stuck  in  the  mud  or  deep  sand. 
Off  came  the  coats  of  the  merchants,  speculators,  doc- 
tors, and  preachers,  carrying,  lugging,  wheeling  boxes, 
goods,  and  boards,  erecting  tents  of  canvas  and  old 
sails,  tin,  raw-hides,  blankets,  and  even  of  body  clothing. 
The  stove-pipe  hat,  black  clothes,  and  white  shirt  gave 
way  to  the  slouch-hat  and  gray  shirt.  Razors  were  out 
of  use :  no  time  to  shave.  Goods  selling  at  any  prices : 
sometimes  at  rates  making  a  fortune  for  the  owner, 
again  at  prices  which  brought  him  to  the  verge  of  ruin. 

The  sand-hills  and  mud-flats  now  presented  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  battle-field :  people  of  every  nation,  cos- 
tume, tongue,  and  clime,  in  the  busy  and  excited  crowd, 
hauling,  running,  trading,  buying,  selling,  building, 
drinking,  fretting,  cursing,  laughing,  dancing,  weeping, 
and  doing  a  little  of  every  thing  under  the  sun  but 
praying ;  all  seemed  to  flounde"  about  in  supreme  reck- 
lessness. The  tailor,  shoemaker,  and  clerk  awkwardly 
pulled  at  the  heavy  oar  to  move  the  lumbering,  freighted 
scow  deserted  by  the  sailors,  now  on  their  way  to  the 
mines  ;  the  judge  sweating  and  chafing,  as  with  judicial 
invectives  he  levied  his  quo  wari'anto  upon  a  refractoiy 
mule  belly-deep  in  mire,  in  the  legitimate  exercise  of 
his  hereditary  prerogative  of  backing  out  of  a  bad  job ; 
the  doctor  refusing  to  see  the  results  of  his  emetics,  and 
pills  cheap  at  five  dollars  each.  Shovels,  boots,  blankets, 
prospecting-pans,  butcher-knives,  bacon,  gray  shirts, 
whiskey,  and  tobacco  were  in  great  demand.  Gold 
sixteen  dollars  per  ounce,  weighed  on  the  coffee-scales, 
or  "hefted"  in  the  hand. 


123 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  first  six  months  of  1 849  added  more  than  fifteen 
thousand  to  the  population  of  the  country,  over  ten  thou- 
sand of  whom  landed  in  San  Francisco :  less  than  two 
hundred  of  all  this  number  were  women.  More  ships, 
more  people,  more  excitement.  Splendid  ships  were 
left  to  the  mercy  of  the  winds,  deserted  by  all  hands.  A 
ship's  boat  was  worth  more  than  a  ship,  for  in  the  former 
the  crew  could  make  a  voyage  up  the  Sacramento  river, 
and  thence  on  foot  to  the  mines.  These  frail  craft, 
filled  with  gold-seekers  and  deeply  laden  frequently 
with  provisions  and  tools  besides,  were  headed  across 
the  dangerous  inland  sea  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  up  the  Sacramento  river,  each  person  armed  with 
some  implement  of  propulsion :  the  oarsman  with  oars, 
passengers  with  shovels,  tin-pans,  paddles,  pieces  of 
boards,  and  even  the  hands  and  feet  served  their  pur- 
pose in  endeavoring  to  propel  the  crazy  little  concern, 
often  making  but  little  progress,  or  brought  to  a  stand- 
still by  the  excited  crew  and  passengers  pulling  in  op- 
posite directions — one  rowing  up  stream,  another  on 
the  other  side,  or  his  next  companion,  laboring  in  his 
excitement  to  drive  her  down  stream.  The  scenes  on 
the  river  were  often  very  amusing  and  ludicrous. 

Even  as  early  as  1849,  it  was  not  all  gold  that  glit- 
tered ;  and  many  a  poor  fellow,  disheartened,  ragged, 
and  forlorn,  sought  the  back  track,  at  least  as  far  as 
San  Francisco,  where  he  could  earn  regular  wages  at 
some  honest  employment,  or  enter  upon  the  exciting 
scenes  of  the  gambling-house,  now  publicly  indulged  in 
by  all  'lasses. 

The  up-river  parties,  on  meeting  a  boat  coming  down 
stream,  would  of  course  suppose  that  her  crew  were 
returning  with  a  load  of  gold,  and  would  hurriedly  in- 


EARLY  GOLD  EXCITEMENT. 


129 


quire  the  "news  from  the  mines,"  receiving  an  answer 
that  all  was  right  up  there — that  all  they  had  to  do  was 
to  go  up  and  fill  their  bags,  generally  directing  them  to 
some  place  perhaps  never  heard  of  before,  or  noted  for 
its  poverty.     In  evidence  of  their  own  success,  they 
would  call  the  attention  of  the  new-comers  to  several 
canvas  sacks  in  the  bottom  of  their  boat:  these  gener- 
ally were  filled  with  a  heavy  black  sand  intended  for 
the  eyes  of  the  up-river  crews,  and  only  served  as  bal- 
last, being  worthless.     On  beholding  these  bags,  the 
eyes  of  the  up-river  crews  were  frequently  seen  to  start 
in  their  sockets;  unintelligible  sounds  were  heard  to 
proceed  from  their  throats  as  they  plunged  their  oars, 
shovels,  pans,  dippers,  and  legs  into  the  water,  while 
heading  toward  Sacramento.     These  bags  thus  afforded 
some  compensation  to  the  difiappointed  returning  crews. 
Mining  was  not  confined  to  the  Yuba,  American,  ?"H 
Feather  rivers,  but  spread  over  the  entire  field  of  the 
ravines,  gulches,  and  streams  of  the  foot-hills,  and  up  to 
the  Sierras ;  many  of  the  locations  yielding  immense 
fortunes  of  pure  gold  with  but  little  effort  or  mechanical 
appliances.     More  than  forty  million  dollars  were  ob- 
tained in  the  year  1849;  and,  from  January  iq,  1848, 
the  day  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  to  the 
beginning  of  1870,  the  gold  product  of  the  State  has 
been  one  billion  dollars.     (For  table  and  product,  see 
Appendix.) 

The  overland  emigration  was  constantly  pouring  into 
the  valleys  and  ravines  of  the  upper  country,  and  here 
scenes  of  the  wildest  excitement  prevailed ;  sometimes 
caused  by  the  discovery  of  rich  "  pockets  "  in  the  rivei 
beds,  or  nuggets  in  the  gulches,  but  oftener  by  the 

fabulous  reports  of  waggish  or  half-crazy  "prospect- 
9 


I30 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


ers,"  who,  without  the  least  foundation  in  fact,  reported 
the  discovery  of  "  mountains  of  gold,"  or  lakes  whose 
sands  were  sparkling  yellow ;  the  location  of  these 
"discoveries"  generally  being  sufficiently  distant  from 
those  receiving  the  secret  to  lend  a  charm  to  the  tale, 
and  to  wear  out  their  patience  and  exhaust  both  their 
body  and  purse  before  they  returned  to  their  starting 
point ;  conscious  of  their  fulfilment  of  that  passage  of 
Scripture  which  says  that  "the  last  condition  of  that 
man  is  worse  than  the  first." 

Throughout  the  gulches  and  ravines,  cotton-tent  vil- 
lages sprang  up  as  if  in  a  single  night;  soon  to  present 
scenes  of  excitement,  activity,  and  industry.  Honesty 
was  a  virtue  with  the  "forty-niners:"  merchandise, 
tools,  provisions,  clothing,  and  gold-dust  were  secure 
in  and  about  the  tent-doors  both  day  and  night ;  and 
not  until  the  floods  of  adventurers  by  sea  and  land 
poured  in  did  petty  thieving  commence.  There  was  no 
time  for  courts,  juries,  and  lawyers  to  be  occujDied  in 
discovering  and  punishing  offenders:  so  on  discovering 
a  thief  he  was  summoned  before  a  few  miners,  and,  if 
found  guilty,  was,  without  delay,  placed  upon  a  mule's 
back,  a  rope  put  about  his  neck,  tied  to  the  limb  of 
some  sturdy  oak,  and  ordered  to  stand  up ;  the  mule 
received  a  lash  of  a  whip,  and  the  culprit  was  left  sus- 
pended :  thus  ended  the  career  of  many  an  early  gold- 
seeker. 

Prices  in  the  gold-fields  ran  beyond  all  conception. 
Luxuries  were  out  of  the  question:  if  any  were  offered, 
they  were  bought  up  at  once  by  those  who  first  saw 
them,  without  questions.  Vegetables  and  fruits  were 
scarce:  no  person  had  time  to  attend  to  the  cultivation 
qf  the  soil :  a  few  apples  from  Oregon,  or  from  the  few 


EARL  Y  SCENES  IN  THE  MINES. 


131 


orchards  about  the  missions,  were  considered  cheap  at 
from  one  to  five  dollars  apiece.  So  with  produce: 
eggs  were  rare  indeed,  and  considered  cheap  from  one 
to  five  dollars  apiece,  regardless  of  age  or  quality.  Of 
fresh  butter  there  was  not  a  pound :  there  were  plenty 
of  cattle  in  the  valleys — wild  Spanish  stock,  fast  as 
race-horses  and  fierce  as  tigers :  who  would  undertake 
the  subjugation  of  such  animals,  milk  them,  and  go 
through  the  tedious  process  of  butter-making?  Hatch- 
ing chickens  with  the  hope  of  eggs  at  some  future  date, 
and  planting  trees  that  apples  might  grow,  would 
have  been  considered  proof  positive  insanity,  had  such 
things  been  done.  All  were  sojourners,  "  going  home 
in  the  spring  "  or  fall,  as  the  case  might  be,  with  a  for- 
tune (?)  Men  with  little  tents  and  booths  fitted  up 
for  the  sale  of  goods  suitable  for  the  miners  were  coin- 
ing money. 

Thousands  of  Indians,  sometimes  under  the  leader- 
ship of  whites,  or  on  their  own  account,  worked,  often 
making  large  amounts,  but  generally  spending  at  night 
their  day's  earnings :  whiskey  was  the  first  considera- 
tion with  the  aborigine,  after  which  lie  might  indulge 
in  the  luxury  of  a  gray  shirt,  which  would  constitute  his 
whole  costume.  The  squaws,  besides  packing  all  the 
food  and  doing  all  the  drudgery  for  their  lords,  would 
gather  a  little  gold,  which  they  would  invest  in  a  slouch- 
hat  and  gray  shirt,  and  their  toilets  and  wardrobes 
were  complete.  These  simple  children  of  the  forest 
had  not  yet  learned  the  value  of  gold,  nor  the  use  or 
meaning  of  the  scales;  so  they  gave  whatever  they 
had,  were  it  much  or  little,  for  any  article  which  they 
might  fancy.  One  Y?nkee,  in  this  way,  realized  fifty 
thousand  dollars  in  a  few  days  from  two  rolls  of  three- 


132 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


ply  carpeting :  this  he  cut  up  in  pieces  of  two  yards 
each,  cut  in  the  centre  lengthwise,  large  enough  to 
admit  of  the  head ;  this  was  bound  with  braid,  and  a 
bunch  of  ribbon  of  some  fancy  color  ornamented  each 
end  of  the  cut ;  this  formed  a  gaudy  garb  for  both  male 
and  female  natives,  and  thus  caparisoned,  and  leaping 
with  joy,  they  entered  upon  their  new  career  of  fashion. 

The  mines  continued  steadily  to  yield  their  golden 
wealth.  Twenty-five  dollars  a  day  might  be  the  average 
of  the  miners,  still  thousands  were  making  hundreds  per 
day ;  and  thousands,  after  paying  exorbitant  prices  for 
every  thing,  and  being  "  in  bad  luck,"  found  themselves, 
after  a  year's  hard  labor  and  deprivation,  without  a 
dollar :  clothes,  health,  hopes,  all  gone ;  far  from  home, 
dispirited,  disappointed,  in  receipt  of  letters  from  wife 
or  fond  ones  at  home  making  urgent  appeals  for  help, 
or  anxiously  imploring  their  return,  reminding  them  of 
their  promises  when  leaving  home  that  they  would  only 
be  absent  six  months  or  a  year. 

The  latter  part  of  1849  and  the  years  1850  and  1S51 
found  thousands  of  penniless,  downcast  miners,  return- 
ing by  the  steamers  to  their  Eastern  homes,  or  plunging 
into  gambling,  dissipation,  and  vice.  Meantime  the 
gold  product  was  still  on  the  increase — forty  million 
dollars  being  extracted  in  1849,  fifty  million  dollars  in 
1850,  and  fifty-five  million  dollars  in  1851.  Many  per- 
sons, having  realized  large  fortunes,  either  returned 
home  or  entered  into  business  in  the  growing  towns 
in  California. 


^_-=^: 


FIRST   PROTESTANT   CHURCH    IN    SAN    FRANCISCO — 1S49. 
(First  Presbyterian  Church.) 


mljJBL   -  J^%-^ 


RUSH    TO    THE   COLD    XIINF.S    FROM  SAN    FRANCISCO    IN    1848. 


EARLY  GOLD  EXCITEMENT, 


133 


CHAPTER  XI. 


Growing  importance  of  San  Francisco — Crime  and  dissipation- 
First  Vigilance  Committee — Law  and  order — Building  a  city — 
Destroyed  by  fire — Rebuilt — Wild  speculation — Strange  occupa- 
tions— Fortune  and  misfortune — First  house  built  at  Sacramento 
— Population  of — Prosperity  in  business  and  speculation — Price 
of  land  in  San  Francisco — Rents  in  San  Francisco — Prices  of 
merchandise — Amusements — Board — Labor — Cost  of  building — 
Streets  paved  with  merchandise — Gold-hunters  still  arriving — 
Largest  product  of  gold — Suicide  and  death — Only  a  mining 

.  country — Import  of  breadstuffs — Literior  steam  navigation — First 
river  steamer — Fares  on  the  rivers. 

The  nish  to  the  mines  from  San  Francisco,  during 
the  years  1849,  1850,  and  1851,  was  unabated  still. 
Streams  of  immigrants  and  gold-seekers  entered  the 
Golden  Gate,  though  large  numbers  were  returning 
home.  San  Francisco  continued  to  be  the  grand  em- 
porium of  commerce.  Its  harbor  was  the  only  port  of 
entry  and  egress  on  the  entire  coast.  Here  the  new- 
comer learned  his  first  California  experience,  and  here 
the  disappointed  miner,  the  gambler,  cutthroat,  and 
courtesan  plied  their  arts.  The  "  Sydney  Ducks  "  and 
"  Hounds  " — classes  of  desperadoes — were  ever  on  the 
alert  for  booty.  They  were  a  great  auxiliary  to  the 
reckless  land-grabber,  who,  regardless  of  law  or  equity, 
possessed  himself  of  all  property  from  which  he  could 
drive  the  occupant.  These  fellows  were  good  as  stand- 
ing witnesses  in  any  case,  provided  they  "could  see  the 
color  " — that  is,  were  well  paid ;  good  on  juries  either 
to  acquit  their  friends  or  convict  their  enemies ;  loud 
of  mouth,  bold  in  swagger ;  could  drink  more  whiskey, 
chew  more  tobacco,  smoke  more  cigars,  and  use  more 


134 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


slang  phrases  and  profane  language  than  anybody  else; 
late  at  the  bar-rooms  and  gambling-houses  at  night, 
and  late  in  bed  in  the  morning ;  early  and  often  at  the 
polls  on  election  day ;  armed  always  with  pistol,  bowie- 
knife,  and  sword-cane.  If  some  land-iobber  wanted  a 
few  men,  all  he  had  to  do  was  to  go  to  the  head-quarters 
of  these  gangs,  and  state  that  he  wanted  help :  fifty  or 
a  hundred  dollars  apiece  would  bring  a  gang,  who,  with 
ropes,  would  drag  down  the  shanty  of  some  unoffending 
man,  who,  with  fifty  pistols  at  his  head,  had  to  surrender 
his  property.  These  bands  often  became  so  bold  and 
defiant  that  their  robberies  were  celebrated  with  pro- 
cessions, banners,  and  bands  of  music.  These  villains 
were,  in  the  summer  of  1849,  disbanded  by  the  inter- 
position of  the  citizens,  who  formed  a  vigilance  com- 
mittee, tried,  convicted,  and  sentenced  a  number  of 
them. 

Later  in  the  same  year  and  in  1850,  courts  were 
established,  and  soon  wholesome  legislation  and  police 
regulations  began  to  exert  their  influence  upon  a  popu- 
lation which,  at  best,  owing  to  natural  causes,  was  wild, 
rash,  riotous,  and  disorderly. 

The  years  1850  and  1851  exhibited  great  activity  and 
progress  in  San  Francisco ;  and  although  the  greater 
part  of  the  city  had  been  burned  for  the  fourth  time, 
still,  Phcenix-like,  it  rose  from  the  ashes.  Wild  specu- 
lation in  city  lots,  merchandise,  and  lumber  had  now  to 
a  great  extent  taken  the  place  of  the  first  excitement 
about  the  mines.  Mud-flats  were  being  filled  in,  sand- 
hills levelled,  houses  built,  banks,  hotels,  restaurants, 
and  stores  erected  ;  employment  of  all  kinds  in  demand, 
and  thousands  ready  to  do  any  thing,  after  their  first 
experience  of  salt  bacon  and  beans  in  the  gulches  and 


aJi 

poj 
in 

an( 


EARLY  MINING  SCENES. 


135 


mountain  ravines,  which  refused  them  fortunes.  Every 
distinction  in  costume,  country,  trade,  and  profession 
was  levelled :  the  gouty  judge  and  nimble  tailor  were 
catering  to  the  hungry  crowd  in  the  restaurant;  the 
blacksmith  sawing  lumber ;  a  dentist  shoeing  a  kicking 
mustang  or  slaughtering  a  bullock ;  a  butcher  keeping 
a  millinery  store ;  a  barber  cleaning  tripe  and  making 
sausages ;  a  shoemaker  shaving  at  a  dollar  a  head ;  a 
painter  digging  a  gutter ;  a  horse-doctor  building  a 
boat ;  a  lawyer  sawing  firewood  ;  a  sailor  milking  a  cow ; 
a  bookkeeper  blacking  boots  ;  a  jeweller  picking  chickens 
or  digging  clams  ;  a  merchant  in  the  kitchen  as  cook  ; 
a  farmer  keeping  an  assortment  store ;  an  ox-driver 
painting  a  sign  ;  while  a  sickly-looking  clerk  shovelled 
down  a  sand-hill.  All  were  tradesmen,  all  were  pro- 
fessional men.  Trades  or  occupations  would  change 
with  the  last  job  or  highest  pay.  Men  who  could  not 
succeed  left  the  country  in  disgust,  never  to  return 
again ;  while  their  next  neighbors,  with  a  fortune, 
returned  to  take  their  families  to  the  land  of  gold — 
*'  God's  best  country,"  as  the  fortunate  ones  v/ould  call 
it ;  and  so  it  was  to  many,  who,  landing  upon  its  shores 
penniless,  were  soon  able  to  pay  off  their  debts  at  home, 
and  place  themselves  and  families  in  affluence.  How 
different  with  those  who,  forming  the  larger  class,  either 
returned  home  with  barely  enough  to  pay  their  passage, 
or  who,  failing  in  health,  hopes,  and  fortune,  have  found 
unknown  graves,  or  still  chase  the  fickle  phantom  which 
allured  them  to  a  strange  land. 

The  State  of  California  kept  continually  increasing  in 
population  and  wealth.  Cities  and  villages  sprang  up 
in  all  directions.  Sacramento,  a  barren  waste  in  1848, 
and  in  which  the   first  frame  house  was  erected  in 


136 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


January,  1849,  had,  in  the  spring  of  1850,  a  population 
of  twelve  thousand.  Other  places  of  importance,  both  in 
the  mining  and  agricultural  regions,  were  springing  up. 
Great  life  and  bustle  abounded  everywhere ;  the  gold 
product  was  still  on  the  increase ;  labor  was  well  re- 
warded. Fortunes  were  made  in  San  Francisco,  Sacra- 
mento, and  in  many  of  the  mountain  towns,  in  a  few 
business  operations,  or  by  the  constant  profits  of  a  small 
store.  Land  and  rents  in  San  Francisco  had  mh  beyond 
all  precedent:  fifty  and  one  hundred  vara  lots  in  San 
Francisco  were,  as  late  as  1850,  granted  by  the  alcaldes, 
under  the  Mexican  laws,  to  persons,  on  payment  of 
sixteen  dollars ;  many  of  these  lots,  in  one  or  two  years, 
were  worth  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars ;  and  many 
of  the  best  city  blocks  now  in  the  citycost  their  present 
owners  but  the  above  price.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  for 
a  lot,  which,  a  few  days  previous,  sold  at  two  or  three 
thousand,  was  not  uncommon.  A  rude  shell  of  a  frame 
store  or  cotton  tent  rented  for  fabulous  prices:  for 
instance,  a  canvas  tent  near  the  plaza — the  "El  Do- 
rado"— fifteen  by  twenty-five  feet,  rented  for  forty 
thousand  dollars  per  annum ;  the  "  Parker  House,"  a 
common  two-story  frame  building  on  Kearney  street, 
also  near  the  plaza,  brought  a  yearly  rent  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  thousand  dollars  ;  a  small,  rough  wood 
building  at  the  plaza,  rented  by  Wright  &  Co.,  brokers, 
at  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  per  annum ;  a  small, 
one-story  rough  building,  twenty  feet  front,  occupied  as 
a  store,  rented  at  forty  thousand  dollars  a  year ;  and 
for  poor  accommodations  for  the  custom  house  business 
a  rent  of  seven  thousand  dollars  per  month  was  paid. 

Some  leading  articles  of  commerce  were  very  dear: 
flour  and  salt  pork,  forty  dollai:s  per  barrel;  cparse 


k 


EARL  Y  MINING  EXPERIENCE. 


137 


boots,  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  dollars  a  pair ;  v^ages 
for  common  labor,  one  dollar  per  hour;  and  mechanics, 
twelve  to  twenty  dollars  a  day.  Amusements  were 
luxuries :  in  the  circus  sixty  dollars  for  a  private  box, 
and  three  dollars  in  the  pit.  Board  in  a  hotel,  or  tent, 
about  eight  dollars  a  day,  and  from  twenty-five  to  forty 
dollars  per  week.  Lumber  from  three  hundred  to  five 
hundred  dollars  per  thousand.  To  build  a  brick  house, 
it  was  estimated  that  it  would,  when  finished,  and  that 
too  in  a  rough  manner,  cost  a  dollar  for  each  brick  in 
the  building. 

Soon  vast  overstocks  of  many  descriptions  of  goods 
glutted  the  market ;  so  much  so  that,  rather  than  pay 
the  exorbitant  rents  and  'storage  necessary,  the  mud- 
holes  and  gulches  were  filled  up  with  boxes  of  choice 
tobacco,  and  Clay  street,  for  a  great  distance,  was 
paved  with  shovels,  the  handles  making  a  kind  of  cordu- 
roy, and  rather  rough  surface. 

Immigrants  and  gold-seekers  were  still  coming.  In 
1850,  the. State  had  a  population  of  117,538;  twenty- 
seven  thousand  people  arrived  in  San  Francisco  by  sea 
and  by  the  Isthmus.  The  year  1852  showed  a  popu- 
lation of  264435.  During  the  year  1853,  thirty-four 
thousand  gold-seekers  had  returned  home  by  sea,  and 
fifteen  thousand  by  land.  The  yield  of  gold  in  this  year 
was  the  largest  ever  produced  in  the  State — sixty-five 
million  dollars.  The  product  has  kept  steadily  decreas- 
ing ever  since  at  about  an  average  of  two  million  dol- 
lars per  annum,  until  the  present  time,  ^1872,)  when 
it  is  about  twenty -five  million  dollars. 

During  the  first  years  of  the  mines,  much  distress 
and  disappointment  prevailed,  owing  to  diseases  engen- 
dered by  long  voyages,  hardship,  and  exposure  in  the 


138 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


mines,  disappointment  in  business  or  at  the  faro-table. 
Deaths  from  sheer  neglect,  want  of  medical  aid,  drunk- 
enness, or  suicide — the  latter  always  a  favorite  mode 
in  California  of  relieving  one's  self  of  life's  burdens — 
were  frequent. 

Throughout  the  first  three  or  four  years  of  the  min- 
ing excitement,  every  article  of  trade  had  to  be  im- 
ported. Most  oeople  believed  that  California  was  only 
a  mining  country — that  nothing  would  grow  upon  the 
barren  soil  without  constant  irrigation ;  so  that  the  im- 
ports, in  1853,  of  San  Francisco  were  over  forty-five 
million  dollars,  over  five  million  dollars  of  which  was 
for  flour  and  meal,  four  million  dollars  for  butter,  and 
over  four  million  dollars  for  lumber.  In  this  year, 
over  fifty-seven  million  dollars  in  gold  was  exported. 
The  tonnage  arrivals  and  departures  were  considerably 
larger  in  this  year  than  that  of  the  port  of  Boston. 

As  early  as  1853,  San  Francisco  was  the  third  city 
in  tonnage  entrances  in  the  United  States — New  York 
and  New  Orleans  alone  being  ahead  of  it.  Since  that 
period,  however,  the  tonnage  entries  have  fallen  off 
considerably ;  still,  San  Francisco  is  fourth  in  this  line 
yet — only  three.  New  York,  Boston,  and  New  Orleans, 
being  ahead. 

The  navigation  of  the  Sacramento  and  other  rivers 
and  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  in  the  year  1848  and 
the  early  part  of  1849,  was  carried  on  exclusively  in 
small  sailing  crafts,  (which  were  very  scarce,)  and  in 
ships'  boats,  which  made  tedious  voyages.  After  the 
gold  discovery,  and  before  steamers  were  in  California, 
these  small  vessels  found  active  employment  in  carry- 
ing passengers  at  twenty-five  to  forty  dollars  each  to 
Sacramento :  ten  days,  and  two  weeks,  would  be  occu- 


EARLY  RIVER  NAVIGATION. 


139 


pied  by  these  crafts  in  making  the  trip.  In  October, 
1849,  communication  by  steam  to  Sacramento  was 
established:  the  first  boat  being  the  ''Pioneer"  a  small 
iron  steamer  shipped  out  from  Boston  in  pieces ;  next 
came  the  steamer  Mini,  followed  by  the  McKim.  All 
these  entered  upon  the  passenger  trade  to  Sacramento 
in  October,  1849,  performing  the  trip  in  half  a  day. 
Fares  were  yet  high:  cabin,  thirty  dollars;  deck,  twenty 
dollars;  a  berth,  five  dollars  extra;  and  meals,  two 
dollars.  The  steamer  Senator  was  soon  after  put  on 
the  Sacramento  route ;  and  from  that  period  to  the 
present,  steam  navigation  of  all  the  inland  waters  of  the 
country  has  been  conducted  with  great  spirit  and  with 
splendid  steamers. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  first  steamer  ever 
upoYi  the  Bay  or  waters  of  San  Francisco  and  Cali- 
fornia was  the  small  boat,  about  the  size  of  a  ship's 
boat,  taken  from  Sitka  in  1847,  by  Captain  W.  A. 
Leidesdorff,  end  run  on  the  bay  until  February,  1848, 
when  she  wa.>  lost  in  a  northwest  gale  in  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco, 


140 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Early  agriculture — No  vegetables — Gardening  in  the  mines — Advent 
of  farmers — Ignorance  of  seasons  and  crops — Increase  of  agricul- 
ture— Lumber — Fishing — Manufucturing — Coal — Fruits — Vege- 
tables— Permanent  settlement  in  California — Varied  industry — 
Happy  homes — Legitimate  occupations — Gold-hunters'  graves — 
Overland  emigration — Suffering  of  the  *'  Donner  party '  '—Settlers 
to  the  rescue. 

The  settlers  in  California  before  the  discovery  of  gold, 
as  well  as  those  immediately  succeeding  that  period, 
had  the  most  vague  and  incorrect  idea  of  the  agricul- 
tural capability  of  the  country.  Some  small  vineyards 
and  wheat-fields  were  cultivated  by  the  Mexicans  about 
the  missions.  The  new-comers  soon  formed  the  opinion 
that  California  was  only  a  mineral  region,  a  desert  of 
sand-hills,  rugged,  volcanic  mountains,  and  alkaline 
flats.  Such  were  the  reports  written  "  home  "  by  the 
gold-seekers,  and  such  the  prevailing  opinion  among 
the  masses  of  the  people  everywhere.  Of  course,  in 
the  first  years  of  the  gold-fever,  no  one  had  the  time 
nor  disposition  to  cultivate  the  soil;  so  that  every 
mouthful  consumed  came  by  ship  to  San  Francisco. 
The  luxury  of  fresh  fish,  butter,  eggs,  and  vegetables 
was  not  to  be  thought  of.  There  was  no  time  to  grow 
vegetables :  if  they  could  be  produced  by  steam,  or  dug 
out  of  the  hills,  the  people  might  stop  to  cook  them. 
After  a  while,  some  miner  who  had  a  fixed  habitation 
would  plant  a  few  seeds  and  cultivate  a  little  spot,  with 
a  few  cabbages,  onions,  lettuce,  and  potatoes,  only  to 
be  surprised  that,  without  manure  and  without  care, 
tliey  would  grow  most  luxuriandy,  and  sell  at  fabulous 


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EARLY  AGRICULTURE. 


141 


prices.  Soon,  every  mining'  camp  and  gulch  was  pro- 
ducing a  supply  of  vegetables.  Those  who  could  not 
endure  hard  labor,  or  whose  "  luck  "  refused  them  gold, 
sought  the  rich  spots  about  the  streams  and  ravines, 
and  practical  gardening  was  soon  in  full  operation, 
often  paying  much  better  than  mining.  Others  seeing 
the  price  of  chickens  and  eggs,  and  being  fully  disgusted 
with  their  fate  in  the  mines,  turned  their  attention  to 
raising  fowls;  this  also  often  paying  large  revenue. 
Others,  again,  having  a  few  cows,  would  make  butter, 
and  sell  milk  at  prices  paying  well  their  time  and  labor. 
Farmers  were  arriving  with  their  families  and  teams 
across  the  country ;  and,  after  a  few  months  disappoint- 
ment in  the  mines,  would  seek  the  valleys  and  cultivate 
the  soil — first  in  the  small  valleys  about  the  mines,  and 
after  a  while  they  extended  into  the  lower  and  fertile 
regions  of  the  Sacramento,  San  Joaquin,  and  Santa 
Clara  valleys. 

Imperfect  knowledge  of  the  seasons,  and  an  Idea 
that  through  the  dry  summers  every  thing,  even  wheat, 
must  be  irrigated,  often  led  to  great  loss  and  delay,  and 
in  many  instances  to  total  failure  of  crops.  Many  of 
these  branches  of  industry  were  not  only  carried  on 
under  circumstances  of  great  ignorance  as  to  seasons 
and  soil,  but  ignorance  and  inexperience  in  most  of 
those  engaged  as  to  the  practical  workings  of  their 
calling ;  as,  an  ex-judge  or  briefless  lawyer  setting  hens 
or  feeding  chickens  and  selling  eggs ;  a  frisky  young 
doctor  or  merchant's  clerk  picking  lettuce  or  selling 
squash ;  a  tailor  trying  to  milk  a  kicking  cow ;  a  sailor 
roasting  his  goose;  an  apothecary  trying  to  plough; 
while  a  shoemaker  waxed  warm  in  the  exercise  of  all 


142 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


his  power  to  make  both  ends  meet  by  sowing  wheat  to 
the  last  end  of  the  land. 

Agricultural  implements  were  scarce  and  rude;  and, 
as  for  houses,  the  canvas  tent  was  the  only  structure 
on  the  premises.  Harness  and  implements  all  lay 
upon  the  ground  in  all  seasons  of  die  year,  and  an 
untidy,  shiftless,  agricultural  population  soon  sprang 
up  in  most  sections  of  the  country.  The  miners  and 
the  entire  population  of  the  towns  and  villages  were  all 
uniformed  with  the  gray  shirt  and  slouch  hat;  all  looked 
alike  in  that  respect :  all  were  "  honest  farmers,  going 
home  in  the  fall,"  or  "honest  miners,  going  home  in 
the  spring." 

From  the  year  1853,  the  agricultural  and  other  in- 
dustrial pursuits  of  the  State  progressed  with  great 
energy,  and  often  with  most  encouraging  results:  a 
good  season  often  making  a  fortune  from  a  patch  of 
potatoes,  beans,  or  onions,  or  from  a  field  of  wheat. 
Men  began  to  rush  to  the  mountains  and  canons  in 
search  of  lumber,  erecting  steam  and  water  power  mills, 
and  supplying  much  material  for  buildings,  bridges, 
wharves,  and  replacing  with  sawed  lumber  the  raw-hide 
fences  of  1849  ^"^^  1850.  Fleets  of  boats  and  squads 
of  men  were  engaged  in  supplying  the  markets  with 
fish  from  the  rivers  and  bay.  Granite,  slate,  and  marble 
quarries  were  opening;  coal  from  Monte  Diablo  was  in 
the  market;  asphaltum  from  the  lower  coast  made 
excellent  sidewalks  and  roofing ;  fruit  trees  of  two  and 
three  years  growth  were  yielding  luscious  fruits;  straw- 
berries, cherries,  and  currants  began  to  be  abundant ; 
immense  fields  of  thousands  of  acres  waved  in  golden- 
colored  wheat;  and,  from  an  importer  of  breadstuffs, 


EARLY  AGRICULTURE    /.V  CALIFORNIA. 


143 


California  has  become  the  greatest  exporter  of  wheat 
and  flour  of  any  State  in  the  Union. 

People  were  beginning  to  see  that  California  had 
other  resources  than  her  mines,  and  to  think  that  they 
might  make  their  homes  in  her  beautiful,  rich  valleys 
where  eternal  summer  reigns.  So  soon  as  the  people 
began  to  be  impressed  with  the  idea  of  a  permanent 
residence  for  themselves  and  families,  and  abandoned 
the  idea  of  roving  over  the  country  in  search  of  a  fortune 
vrith  which  to  "return  home,"  California  entered  upon  a 
new  era  of  prosperity.  At  this  period  r^en  settled  down 
to  their  work  in  earnest;  and  while  many  made  fortunes, 
experience  had  taught  the  masses  that  to  make  a  ;Tood 
living,  support  their  families,  and  lay  up  a  litde  yearly, 
was  all  that  could  be  expected.  With  these  ideas,  men 
sent  for  their  families  and  began  to  build  up  their  new 
homes.  Most  of  those  from  the  cold  regions  of  the 
Atlantic  States,  Canada,  and  Europe,  seeing  the  bene- 
fits and  pleasures  of  so  genial  a  climate  as  California, 
determined  to  live  and  die  in  the  land  of  gold.  Through- 
out the  entire  coast  new  fields  of  labor  were  opened, 
and  new  and  permanent  homes  erected.  The  vast  val- 
leys were  fenced,  tilled,  and  harvested;  quiet  homes 
nestled  in  the  small,  rich  valleys  and  gulches,  secluded 
in  the  foot-hills  and  canons ;  substantial  dwellings  in 
the  cities,  with  neat  cottages  in  the  country,  began  to 
show  that  California,  as  well  as  other  lands,  had  homes. 

Speculation  in  mining  and  cCmmerce  must  now  share 
its  laurels  with  the  arts  and  labor  now  asserting  their 
dominion,  and  calling  to  their  support  men  of  ability, 
ambition,  and  industry.  With  the  constantly  increasing 
population,  and  the  progress  in  mining,  commerce,  and 
agriculture,  there  sprang  up  a  demand  for  machinery, 


144 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


raw  and  manufactured  articles  of  daily  consumptior  ; 
and  soon  an  army  of  operators,  laborers,  mechanics, 
and  artisans  plunged  into  the  field.  The  pursuits  to 
be  followed  were  not  always  selected  with  regard  to 
the  experience  or  fitness  of  the  person  engaged,  but 
generally  with  an  eye  to  how  much  money  there  was  in 
it.  This  often  led  to  amusing  scenes  and  conflicts  of 
occupations  and  strange  results;  as  often  occasioned 
by  the  singular  customs,  styles,  and  manner  of  doing 
business  by  the  f)eople  of  the  various  nationalities  rep- 
resented, or  by  general  ignorance.  Pay  was  good,  and 
in  most  cases  better  for  a  mechanic  than  for  a  miner ; 
and  soon  the  gold-hunters  were  in  swarms  transformed 
into  agriculturalists,  mechanics,  and  artisans ;  they  set- 
tled quietly  down  as  farmers,  lumbermen,  teamsters, 
fishermen,  carpenters,  blacksmiths,  tanners,  tailors,  ma- 
sons, coachmakers,  painters,  surveyors,  photographers, 
physicians,  judges,  lawyers,  preachers,  teachers,  hotel 
and  bar-room  keepers,  politicians,  and  grave-diggers ; 
the  latter  class  having,  from  July,  1850,  to  July,  1853 — 
three  years — buried  in  San  Francisco  alone  4,055  gold- 
hunters.  Poor  fellows!  how  many  of  them,  struck 
down  either  by  disease  contracted  on  the  tedious  voy- 
age round  Cape  Horn,  on  the  miasmatic  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  in  the  mines,  or  by  dissipation,  and  far  from 
the  kind  hand  and  gentle  care  of  fond  ones  to  aid  and 
cheer  them,  have  left  their  epitaph  written  only  in  the 
aching  hearts  of  those  who  still,  in  doubt  and  fear,  sigh 
for  them,  while  their  unmarked  graves  occupy  their 
uncertain  tenure  in  the  shifting  sands  of  Verba  Buena! 
In  the  whole  history  of  California  and  the  trials  of  its 
early  pioneers  there  is  no  chapter  so  sad  in  its  details 
as  that  of  the  unfortunate  immigrant-  company  known 


OVEHl^lfO  IMMICKATION 

as  the  "Donner  Party"    Of  ,1.    •      •  '"*' 

•      a  party  of  about  eighth  took  ,  „   ™""&'^tion  of  .846, 
end  of  Salt  lake.    The  ad™t  ""'''''  ^  *«  «°«h 

of  that  season  rJchedZ7^^''y°^'^^'"'"^igrants 
the  falling  of  the  snows  infr""'"'"  "'"^^  ^-^^e 
Conner  party,  cons^nV "f  elr"""''"^ ''   •""  *« 
Aree  men,  thirty  women,  fnd  sevl^   r.,r"°"^'"°«y- 
delays,  found  themselves  on  ^    '^'"''''•^"-owing  to, 
*J.  Truckee  pass.  i„  ^l  hearfo/'ll  °«°''^'-'  "' 
owng  to  an  unusually  earlva^H  ^'^'■'^''  and. 

>n.dst  of  mountains  of  s^ow  a"1  'r''!^'^'-' '"  *« 
-as  utterly  impossible.    ^^^J^  ."''it  ^  Passage 
-n  the  snow,  and  fell  among  the  'wl         u''"  ''""^'' 
of  them  could  be  found     Soon  .T  r    ' '°  "'^' "°  *'^'^^- 
t'on  stared  them  in  L  fte    T  f  P™^"'""^' ^^arva- 
last  morsel  of  tough  ox  h.V)!.'  T  •    *"*  ^°"*'  and  the 
*e  aspect  gr.^  m'TJZ'J .^'^  ''—''.. 
five  women,  eight  men  :,niiJT?    ''''^^"  Persons— 
camp  about  six  weeks  'aft"  r  T  '"t""-'^""'  ^°""«'s 
JhopesorreachingtLtiS-^^^^^^^^^^ 
After  tolling  through  the  sno«.o     T  *"^  Sierras. 

they  found  themselve   at  tre^d  ofTf'  '^"''^^P' 
of  provisions,  fainting  and  fallW  °       k  ^"'  *""''  »« 
remaining  ones  pushfd  forwardye       '  T'    '^'^^ 
flesh  of  their  fallen  commdeldt        k''^'^'''"^  °^  *<= 
packing  it  on  their  teSs  for  ^  "'"■"'"^■"<^«'- and 
journey.     Still  toiling  onJr         '  "^"  ^^''  horrid 
food;  the  last  r.XTs^'/C^'T  '''''"  °""^' 
«'as  eaten.    At  this  stage  the  tZr.,"'  ^""-"^hoes 
they  might  be  munler^  for  fo^^  '"*f  ?'>  fearing  that 
seventeenth  day  out,^  Z  Ti  ''"^'""''y  ^^^'-     The 
had   expired.     W  Viunal' f  P='' ^' --Pt  one, 

than  alive,  aided  by  tCo  ?rie„H?    ."'T.'™'"'  """"^  ^ead 

y  two  friendly  Indians,  reached  the 


146 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


settlers  on  Bear  river.  Aid  was  immediately  forwarded 
to  the  remaining  survivors  in  the  snows  of  the  Sierras 
by  the  people  of  the  valleys,  who,  from  San  Francisco 
to  the  foot-hills,  were  all  saddened  at  the  terrible  news 
of  the  sufferers.  The  relief  parties  found  it  most  haz- 
ardous to  penetrate  the  Sierras.  On  reaching  the 
camp  of  the  unfortunates,  scenes  of  horror  presented 
themselves:  the  wild  aspect  of  the  surviving  skeletons, 
as  they  stared  in  blank  and  idiotic  gaze  with  their  hol- 
low eyes  from  their  pillows  of  snow,  surrounded  by  the 
grim  skeletons  of  their  dear  friends,  was  heart-rending. 
Of  the  eighty  persons  doomed  to  this  awful  mountain 
imprisonment,  but  forty-four  survived — twenty-two  of 
whom  were  females. 

Donner's  camp,  the  farthest  away  of  the  immigrants, 
was  not  reached  by  the  relief  party  until  late  in  April, 
1847.  At  this  camp  all  were  dead  but  one:  he,  sur- 
rounded by  the  skeletons  of  his  fallen  comrades,  and 
his  kettle  in  which  was  boiling  his  meal  of  human  flesh, 
refused  food.  He  had  been  converted  into  a  cannibal, 
repulsive  and  savage ;  and  only  by  force  was  he  com- 
pelled to  quit  the  horrid  scenes  of  his  six  months 
imprisonment 


I     T 


7 


RM  C  A^ 


iUli  . 


.4%<- 


0  N  tr 


V 
^^,. 


\mimu 


O 


■.♦4.  Itv 


^x¥itl^^_;        .w-ft*^ 


OF  TirK 

(STATE J 


'~^^^__\iVSl«m''-"^^^^-^ 


EARLIEST  MENTION  OF  CALIFORNIA, 


147 


tu/o 


''\ 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

California — Origin  of  the  name — Griffins  in  the  land — Hot  ovens 
of  the  natives — ^Area  of  the  State — Agricultural,  mineral,  grazing, 
and  marsh  lands — ^Area  equal  to  one  hundred  and  forty-five  States 
the  size  of  Rhode  Island — Compared  with  states  and  countries  of 
Europe — Equal  to  thirty-eight  governments  of  Europe — Capable 
of  supporting  a  population  of  eighty-three  million — Great  produc* 
tiveness  of  the  soil — Genial  climate — Great  natural  resources- 
Commercial  importance — Mountains — ^Valleys—Rivers — Climate 
— Seasons — Harvests  —  Forests — Mineral  riuige — Beauties  and 
wonders  of  the  Sierras. 

California  :  the  origin  of  the  name  of  this  State  has 
been  a  fruitful  subject  of  disputation  by  writers  both  of 
the  past  and  present  centuries,  all  of  whom  fail  to  give 
2jiy  positive  date  or  identity  of  person  or  circumstances 
to  support  the  various  theories  regarding  it;  and  as 
the  most  searching  investigation  on  the  part  of  the 
author  of  this  volume  has  faikd  to  clearly  define  the 
origin  of  the  name,  or  to  throw  any  new  light  upon  the 
subject,  some  of  the  opinions  generally  entertained 
respecting  this  subject  are  here  given. 

The  name  is  first  found  in  a  small  volume  of  romance 

published  in  Spain,  in  1510,  entitled  **The  Sergas  of 

Esplandian,  the  son  of  Amadis,  of  Gaul."     The  follovF- 

ing  extracts  from  this  once  popular  volume  will  show 

how  the  name  occurs : 

"  Know  that  on  the  right  hand. of  the  Indies  there  is  an  island 
called  California,  very  near  to  the  Terrestrial  Paradise,  which  was 
peopled  by  black  women,  without  any  men  among  them,  because 
they  were  accustomed  to  live  after  the  manner  of  the  Amazons. 
They  were  of  strong  and  hardened  bodies,  of  ardent  courage,  and 
of  great  force.  The  island  was  the  strongest  in  the  world,  from  its 
steep  rocks  and  great  cliffs.  Their  arms  were  all  of  gold,  and  so 
were  the  caparisons  of  the  wild  beasts  they  rode." 


••^-~.-..' 


148 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


"  In  the  island  called  California  are  many  griffins,  on  account  of 
the  great  savageness  of  the  country  and  the  immense  quantity  of 
wild  game  to  be  found  thei<^." 

An  Opinion  prevails  among  some  well-informed 
authors  that  the  name  is  derived  from  the  Latin  words 
calidus  fomusy  meaning  hot  oven;  and  that  the  idea 
was  taken  from  the  hot  furnaces,  or  sweat-ovens,  into 
which  the  natives  put  their  sick,  or  from  the  hot  valleys 
of  the  country :  indeed,  certain  cafions  and  small  valleys 
in  California  are  almost  hot  enough  in  summer  time  to 
suggest  such  an  idea;  but  as  the  State  received  its 
name  before  civilized  man  had  beheld  the  land,  Cortez 
had  invaded  Mexico,  Balboa  discovered  the  Pacific 
ocean,  and  Magellan  first  navigated  its  waters,  it  is  sup- 
posed tiiat  the  name  California  was  the  coinage  of  the 
brain  of  the  novelist  mentioned.  The  fabulous  stories 
circulated  by  the  early  Spanish  navigators  respecting 
the  riches  of  the  newly  discovered  country,  and  the 
great  natural  productiveness  of  the  soil,  and  its  min- 
erals, may  have  suggested  the  name,  from  the  Greek 
words  Kala-chora-nea,  meaning  a  rich  or  fresh  produc- 
tiveness, fertility;  opposite  to  Aphoria — sterility  or 
unproductiveness.  In  this  view,  the  application  of  the 
name  is  most  suggestive  and  appropriate. 

Centuries  before  the  discovery  of  the  American 
continent,  and  while  the  early  navigators  of  Europe 
made  their  tedious  voyages  to  the  Indian  ocean  and 
the  Red  sea,  the  stories  of  the  discoveries  of  distant 
lands  and  strange  people  were  the  staple  of  the  ro- 
mantic and  fabulous  tales  related  about  the  "  Terres- 
trial Paradise"  and  the  "Land  of  Gold/'  its  marveUous 
wonders  and  strange  people.  The  fictions  of  the 
ancients  and  heathen  mythology  were  freely  employed 


cc 

hit 
miJ 


EARLIEST  MENTION  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


149 


to  len^  charms  and  wonder  to  the  distant  and  strange 
land ;  and,  to  fulfil  the  idea  of  the  ancients  as  to  the 
keeper  of  the  precious  metals,  the  Spanish  novelist 
already  quoted  assured  l5!s  readers  that  the  imaginary- 
animal,  the  griffin — half  lion  and  half  eagle — which 
was  supposed  to  watch  over  mines  of  gold  and  hidden 
treasure,  had  its  abode  in  California. 

That  the  reader  may  realize  the  absurdities  of  these 
early  times,  and  the  notions  of  the  people  respecting 
this  then  unexplored  land,  a  few  additional  extracts  are 
here  given  from  some  of  the  early  explcers  of  the 
South  Pacific,  who  had  worked  up  their  imaginations 
respecting  the  fabled  land  of  gold.  One  writer,  de- 
scribing the  dangers  of  the  seas,  says : 

**  The  crew  and  passengers  consume  their  provisions,  and  then 
die  miserably.  Many  vessels  hseve  been  lost  in  this  way ;  but  the 
people  have  learned  to  save  themselves  from  this  fate  by  the  follow- 
ing contrivance:  they  take  bullocks'  hides  along  with  them,  and 
whenever  this  storm  rises  they  sew  themselves  up  in  the  hides, 
taking  care  to  have  a  knife  in  their  hand  ;  and,  being  secure  against 
the  sea-water,  they  throw  themselves  into  the  ocean.  Here  they  are 
soon  perceived  by  a  Large  eagle  called  a  griffin,  which  takes  them 
for  cattle,  darts  down  and  seizes  them  in  his  gripe,  and  carries  thev^^ 
upon  drv  land,  where  he  deposits  his  burthen  upcM\  a  hill  or  in  a 
dale,  there  to  consume  his  prey.  The  man,  however,  now  mnkes 
use  of  his  knife  to  kill  the  bird,  and  creeps  forth  from  the  hide. 
Many  people  riave  been  saved  by  this  stratagem." 

Another  traveller.  Sir  John  Maundeville,  speaking  of 

the  strange  lands  he  had  visited,  and  doubdess  Calixjr- 

nia  was  one  of  the  islands  alluded  to,  (California  was 

considered  an  island  by  its  first  discoverers,)  says : 

"In  one  of  these  isles  are  people  of  great  stature,  like  giants, 
hideous  to  look  upon,  and  they  have  but  one  eye,  whach  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  forehead ;  and  they  eat  nothing  bui  .aw  ttesh  aai 
And  in  another  isle,  toward  the  south,  dwell  people  of  foul 


iy> 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


stature  and  cursed  nature,  who  have  no  head,  but  their  eyes  are  in 
their  shoulders.  In  another  isle  are  people  that  have  the  fip  above 
the  mouth  so  great  that,  when  they  sleep  in  the  sun,  they  cover  all 
the  face  with  that  lip.  And  in  another  isle  there  are  dwarfs  which 
have  nu  moul  h*,  but  instead  of  their  mouth  they  have  a  little  round 
hole,  and  wl'.en  they  shall  eat  or  drink  they  take  it  through  a  pipe 
or  a  pen  or  such  a  thing,  and  suck  it  in.  And  in  another  isle  there 
9X?.  people  that  have  ears  so  long  that  they  hang  down  to  their 
knees,  [a  tribe  of  Oregon  Indians  split  the  ear,  allowing  the  outside 
which  was  cut  from  the  top  to  hang  down,  thus  making  the  ears  to 
hang  down  to  the  shoulders.]  In  another  isle  there  are  people  that 
have  horses'  feet.  In  another  isle  there  are  people  that  go  upon 
their  hands  and  feet  like  beasts,  and  are  all  skinned  and  feathered, 
and  would  leap  as  lightly  into  trees  and  from  tree  to  tree  as  squir- 
rels or  apes.  In  another  islvi  are  hermaphrodites ;  and  in  another 
isle  are  people  that  go  upon  their  knees,  and  at  every  step  they  go 
it  seems  that  they  will  fall:  they  have  eight  toes  on  every  foot. 
Many  other  diverse  people  of  diverse  natures  there  are  in  other 
lands  about,  of  which  it  were  too  long  to  tell. 

"  Of  Paradise  I  cannot  speak  properly,  for  I  was  not  there.  'Tis 
far  beyond  Cathay,  [China,]  and  I  repent  not  going  there,  but  I 
was  not  worthy.  But  as  I  have  heard  say  of  wise  men  beyond,  I 
shall  tell  you  with  good  will.  Terrestrial  Paradise,  as  wise  men 
say,  is  the  highest  place  of  the  earth  ;  and  it  is  so  high  that  it  nearly 
touches  the  circle  of  the  moon  there,  as  the  moon  makes  her  turn. 
....  And  you  shall  understand  that  no  man  that  is  mortal  may 
approach  to  that  Paradise :  for  by  land  no  man  may  go  for  wild 
beasts  that  are  in  the  deserts,  and  for  the  high  mountains  and  great 
huge  rocks  that  no  man  may  pass  by  for  the  dark  places  that  are 
there;  and  by  the  rivers  may  no  man  go,  for  the  water  runs  so 
roughly  and  sharply,  because  it  comes  down  so  outrageously  from 
the  high  places  above,  that  it  runs  in  great  waves,  that  no  ship  may 
row  ot  sail  against  it,  and  the  water  roars  so,  and  makes  so  huge  a 
noise,  and  so  great  a  tempest,  that  no  man  may  hear  another  in  a 
ship,  though  he  cried  with  all  the  might  he  could.  Many  great 
lords  have  essayed  with  great  will,  many  times,  to  pass  by  these 
rivers  toward  Paradise,  with  full  great  companies,  but  they  might 
not  speed  in  their  voyage  ;  and  many  died,  from  weariness  in  row- 
ing against  the  strong  waves,  and  many  of  them  became  blind,  and 
many  deaf,  for  the  noise  of  the  water,  and  some  perished  and  were 


J 


AREA   OF  CALIFORNIA. 


151 


lost  in  the  ^aves ;  so  that  no  mortal  man  may  approach  to  that 
place  without  special  grace  of  God :  so  that  of  that  place  I  can  tell 
you  no  more." 

Cortez  having,  in  1521,  completed  the  conquest  of 
Mexico,  turned  his  attention  to  exploring  the  western 
side  of  his  new  acquisitions;  and  at  this  period  we  find 
the  Gulf  of  California  called  by  its  present  name,  and 
also  the  "Sea  of  Cortez."  That  California  was  the 
land  mentioned  by  the  novelist  in  1510  cannot  be 
doubted,  as  California  was  considered  an  island,  and 
placed  upon  the  maps  and  geographies  as  such,  until 
the  expedition  of  the  Viceroy  of  New  Spain,  in  1686, 
more  than  a  century  and  a-half  after  Cortez  visited  the 
country,  and  discovered  and  reported  it  to  be  a  part  of 
the  mainland  of  the  continent  of  America. 

The  State  of  California  extends  from  latitude  32®  45' 
to  latitude  42° ;  is  a  little  over  eight  hundred  miles  in 
length,  and  twelve  hundred  miles,  following  the  chief 
indentations  of  the  coast.  It  is  an  average  width  of 
two  hundred  miles  from  tjie  Pacific  ocean  to  the  crest 
of  the  Sierras,  the  eastern  boundary;  and  contains  an 
area  of  188,981  square  miles,  or  120,947,840  acres. 

California  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  State  of 
Oregon,  on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Nevada  and  Terri- 
tory' of  Arizona,  on  the  south  by  the  republic  of  Mexico, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean. 

The  combined  area  of  the  six  New  England  States  is 
btt  68,348  square  miles,  showing  that  California  has  an 
area  almost  three  times  as  great  as  this  division  of  the 
republic. 

The  area  of  the  six  Middle  States — New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Mar>*land,  and  West 
Virginia — is  137,464  square  miles;  showing  that  the 


Ija  THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 

area  of  California  is  5i»5i7  square  miles  larger  than 
this  section. 

The  combined  area  of  the  twelve  States  forming  the 
New  England  and  Middle  States  is  205,812  square 
miles,  showing  that  California  contains  an  .area  almost 
as  great  as  these  twelve  States.  It  is  78,135  square 
miles  larger  than  the  whole  of  Great  Britain ;  the  latter 
being  110,846  square  miles.  It  would  make  twenty- 
four  States  the  size  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  leav- 
ing 2,781  square  miles;  and  the  area  of  California 
would  make  one  hundred  and  forty-five  States  as  large 
as  the  State  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  combined  area  of  Great  Britain,  Holland,  Greece, 
Denmark,  Brunswick,  and  Switzerland  is  188,330  square 
miles,  leaving  the  area  of  California  551  square  miles 
larger  than  these  six  European  countries. 

The  area  of  Andorra,  Anhalt,  Baden,  Belgium, 
Bremen,  Biiinswick,  Papal  States,  Denmark,  Frank- 
fort, Greece,  Hamburg,  Hanover,  Hesse-Cassel,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Hesse-Homburg,  Holland,  with  Luxem- 
burg, Lichtenstein,  Lippe-Detmold,  Lippe-Schaumburg, 
Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  Nassau, 
Portugal,  Reuss,  San  Marino,  Saxony,  Saxe- Altenburg, 
Saxe-Coburgand  Gotha,  Saxe-Meining-Hildburg,  Saxe- 
Weimar-Eisenach,  Schwarzburg,  Rudolstadt,  Schwarz- 
burg-Sondershausen,  Waldeck,  Lubec,  Wurtemberg, 
Switzerland,  and  the  republic  of  Hayti — thirty-seven 
countries  of  Europe  and  one  republic  of  America, 
(West  Indies,) — embraces  a  total  of  189,273  square 
miles — a  fraction  only  more  than  the  area  of  California. 

The  population  of  the  thirty-eight  countries  alluded 
to  is,  in  round  numbers,  thirty  million  ;  while  the  popula- 
tion of  California,  by  the  census  of  1870,  was  but  560,247 


AREA   OF  CALIFORNIA. 


153 


little  less  than  three  persons  to  each  square  mile. 
So  genial  the  climate,  so  productive  the  soil,  so  early 
the  maturity  of  cattle,  so  rich  in  precious  metals,  so 
great  the  water-power — in  a  word,  so  great  tlie  natural 
resources  of  California,  when  compared  with  the  coun- 
tries already  alluded  to— that  eighty  million  of  people 
could  be  easily  maintained  upon  her  soil.  But  Califor- 
nia is  capable  of  sustaining  a  larger  population ;  and, 
that  the  reader  may  comprehend  what  may  possibly  be 
the  population  of  this  vast  region,  and  to  what  popula- 
tion and  power  California  may  yet  attain,  it  is  but 
necessary  to  present  a  few  further  illustrations  from 
some  of  the  most  popular  countries  of  Europe.  The 
area  of  Great  Britain  is  1 10,846  square  miles,  and  her 
population  thirty-two  million.  This  would  be  286  per- 
sons to  each  square  mile.  Now  let  us  see  what  this 
density  would  give  California :  at  the  rate  of  286  to 
each  mile,  California  would  have  a  population  of 
54,048,566.  But  California  can  even  do  better  than 
that :  she  can  surpass  the  largest  density  of  any  country 
of  Europe.  At  the  present  period,  (1872,)  Belgium,  the 
most  densely  populated  country  of  Europe,  has  a  popu- 
lation of  440  persons  to  each  square  mile  of  her  whole 
area  of  11,313  square  miles.  Belgium  must  still  con- 
tinue to  c^row  more  dense  in  population ;  but,  with  her 
present  density  in  California,  the  State  would  have  a 
population  of  83,151,640,  or  more  than  double  the 
population  of  every  State  and  Territory  in  the  Ameri- 
can republic ;  the  federal  census  giving  the  whole  pop- 
ulation of  the  republic  at  38,281,384  in  1870 

Of  the  1 20,947,840  acres  in  the  State  of  California, 
but  32,338,378  acres  have  been  surveyed.  There  are 
7,095,714  acres  covered  by  Mexican  grants,  5,023,714 


154 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


acres  of  which  have  been  confirmed,  and  patents  issued 
by  the  government,  leaving  2,071,825  acres  of  the 
claims  reported  for  action  not  yet  patented.  Outside 
of  all  lands  granted  by  the  federal  government  and  the 
lands  covered  by  the  Mexican  grants  there  are  yet 
(1872)  100,070,177  acres  of  public  lands  in  the  State. 

Year  after  year  the  arable  lands  of  the  State  seem 
to  widen:  mountain  ridges  and  high,  rolling  hills, 
regarded  as  worthless  a  few  years  since,  are  found  by 
experience  to  be  excellent  farm-lands,  producing  grain, 
vegetables,  and  fruit  of  almost  every  description ;  And, 
under  a  diversified  cultivation  and  the  agricultural  skill 
and  labor  of  European  farmers,  thousands  of  acres  yet 
considered  worthless  will  be  made  most  productive. 
So  far  but  a  fraction  of  the  land  of  the  State  has  even 
been  surveyed,  and  rich  and  fertile  valleys  are  to-day 
without  a  furrow  ever  having  been  turned.  But  three 
million  acres  are  cultivated,  and  five  million  acres  en- 
closed, (18^72,)  within  the  whole  State.  Twenty  million 
bushels  of  wheat  are  grown  annually,  and  to  pasture  the 
three  and  a  half  million  sheep,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  horses,  and  eight  hundred  tliousand  neat 
cattle  in  the  State,  occupies  wide  ranges  of  untilled 
and  unfenced  land. 

It  is  difificult  to  give  any  correct  classification  of  the 
lands  of  the  State.  It  is  estimated,  however,  that  sixty- 
five  million  acres  are  susceptible  of  cultivation;  twenty- 
five  million  acres  of  pasture  lands ;  fifteen  million  acres 
of  mountain,  forest,  and  rugged  hills ;  six  million  acres 
of  sandy,  gravelly,  and  alkaline  plains ;  five  million  acres 
of  overflowed,  salt-marsh,  and  tide  lands ;  and  4,947,840 
acres  in  lakes,  rivers,  and  bays. 

To  know  whether  California  is  capable  of  sustaining 


NIGHT  80EIIB  ON  TBB  SAN  JOAQUIN  RIVEBr— MONTB  DIAIiLO  IN  THE  OI8TANCB. 


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FUTURE  GREATNESS  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


155 


a  population  of  the  density  of  any  of  the  countries  here 
mentioned  it  is  only  necessary  to  be  informed  that,  in 
natural  resources,  the  most  densely  populated  country 
above  named  is  vasdy  inferior  to  this  State,  whose 
balmy  "climate  permits  of  out-door  labor  and  cultivation 
of  the  soil  every  day  of  the  year,  and  whose  rich  and 
inexhaustible  soil  produces  so  abundantly  and  luxuri- 
antly. Her  fields  ot  wheat  yield  from  fourteen  to  one 
hundred  bushels  to  the  acre — forty  to  sixty  bushels  . 
being  considered  a  good  yield,  and  twenty-one  bushels 
to  the  acre  the  average  of  the  State ;  whilst  in  most 
of  the  countries  of  Europe  and  the  Eastern  States  of 
America  from  eight  to  fourteen  bushels  to  the  acre  is 
considered  a  good  crop,  while  many  of  them  average 
only  from  five  to  six  bushels  to  the  acre. 

The  unparalleled  productions  of  vegetables,  fruit, 
and  grain,  with  the  ease  of  cultivation,  the  perpetual 
summer,  time  saved  from  building  warm  houses  and 
procuring  food  and  shelter  for  cattle,  fuel  and  raiment 
for  man,  the  freeness  of  the  agricultural  lands  from 
either  forests  or  rocks,  the  absence  of  worms  and  dis- 
ease in  fruit  and  grain,  the  abundance  of  wild  grass  and 
wild  oats,  the  early  maturity  of  fruit  trees  and  cattle, 
the  great  water-powers,  whose  crystal  spray  is  never 
congealed  by  winter's  frosts,  the  healthful  and  vigorous 
condition  of  man  and  beast — all  assure  us  that  Cali- 
fornia is  capable  of  producing  from  her  soil  the  means 
of  sustaining  a  population  of  three  times  the  density  of 
any  of  the  countries  or  States  named  in  this  chapter. 

The  natural  resources,  great  mineral  and  agricultural 
wealth  of  California,  with  her  eight  hundred  miles  of 
sea  coast  indented  with  numerous  bays  and  harbors, 
facing  the  Pacific  ocean,  the  direct  and  easy  steam  com- 


156 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


munication  with  Asia  and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  the 
railroad  connection  with  the  Atlantic  States,  all  place 
her  midway  in  the  direct  line  of  trade  between  Asia 
and  Europe,  and  render  her  geographically  one  of  the 
most  favorably  located  States  in  the  Union. 

The  country  is  divided  into  hundreds  of  valleys  by 
ridges  and  chains  of  mountains.  The  principal  moun- 
tains are  the  Sierra  Nevada  range,  running  about  four 
hundred  miles  along  the  eastern  boundary  in  the  north- 
em  portion  of  the  State,  and  the  Coast  Range,  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  ocean  along  its  western  line  the 
entire  length  of  the  State.  Toward  the  southern  sec- 
tion of  the  State  the  chain  is  often  broken  and  inter- 
sected with  streams,  cafions,  and  small,  fertile  valleys. 
At  some  places,  as  in  Marin  county,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Golden  Gate,  this  range  of  mountains  pushes 
almost  to  the  ocean;  but  its  general  course  is  from 
twelve  to  twenty  miles  from  the  sea,  leaving  a  belt  of 
rich  agricultural  and  grazing  land  between  it  and  the 
Pacific.  This  section  of  the  State  is  entirely  different 
in  climate  from  the  interior:  during  the  hot  summer 
months,  the  fogs  and  vapor  from  the  ocean  hang  in 
dense  volumes  over  it,  cooling  the  air,  and  keeping 
vegetation  green  through  the  entire  dry  season.  The 
harvest  in  this  section  is  several  weeks  later  than  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Interior.  Here,  too,  is  the  great 
dairy  and  pasture  range  of  the  State.  South  of  Santa 
Cruz,  this  ridge  is  to  a  great  extent  barren  of  trees,  or 
covered  with  an  inferior  growth  of  timber;  but  west  of 
this  point,  and  particularly  through  the  upper  portions  of 
the  State,  it  is  crowned  with  valuable  forests  of  cedar, 
fir,  redwood,  and  oak.  The  valleys  upon  both  sides  of 
this  range  are  well  watered  with  thousands  of  crystal 


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Leba 


MOUNTAIN  CHAINS  AND  PEAKS. 


157 


Streams,  running  from  the  ridges  of  the  mountains 
either  toward  the  interior  or  emptying  into  the  Pacific 
ocean.  Trout  are  abundant  in  all  these  streams.  This 
chain  averages  in  height  from  two  thousand  to  six 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  in  width 
from  fifteen  to  thirty-five  miles. 

The  grand  mountain  chain  of  the  Sierras,  marking 
the  eastern  boundary  of  California  for  more  than  four 
hundred  miles  south  from  the  Oregon  line,  often  broken 
and  irregular,  in  its  general  features  of  natural  gran- 
deur presents  varied  themes  of  reflection  and  observa- 
tion, as  being  the  main  artery  or  back-bone  from  whose 
lateral  spurs  and  rugged  sides  emanate  the  great  gold 
and  silver  supply,  which  exists  not  only  in  California 
and  Nevada  but  which,  following  the  general  line  of 
this  range,  supplies  the  vast  mineral  wealth  from  Pata- 
gonia  through  South  and   Central  America,  Mexico, 
California,  Oregon,  Washington  Territory,  and  British 
Columbia,  until  it  is  lost  in  the  eternal  snows  of  Alaska's 
lonely  shore  on  the  distant  confines  of  the  Arctic  ocean. 
In  this  grand  range  of  mountains  in  California  are 
found  the  highest  elevations  in  the  republic  except  those 
in  Alaska — Mount  Whitney  being  higher  than  Mount 
Hood,  or  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 
Here  Mount  Shasta  lifts  its  hoary  head  14,440  feet; 
and  Mount  Whitney,  the  loftiest  mountain  of  the  range, 
stands  fifteen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea-level.    Here, 
too,  stand  the  solemn  sentinels  of  the  forest,  the  mighty 
trees  of  Mariposa,  Calaveras,  Tuolumne,  and  Tulare, 
the  most  gigantic  vegetable  growth  in  the  world,  the 
wonder  and  admiration  of  all  who  behold  them,  dwarf- 
ing  into    comparative    insignificance    the    cedars   of 
Lebanon  and  the  pines  and  firs  of  the  Baltic  and  the 


158 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


Saco.  Here,  too,  may  be  seen  the  famed  valley  and 
falls  of  the  Yosemite,  where,  at  a  few  bounds,  the 
mighty  sheet  of  water  dashes  a  distance  of  two  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  twenty-six  feet  into  the  valley 
below.  High  in  the  ridges  of  this  chain,  nestling  betwixt 
the  precipitous  and  frowning  walls  of  dark  and  relent- 
less granite,  nature  elevates  her  mighty  urns,  which, 
like  inland  seas,  inspire  and  impress  man  with  the 
majesty  of  creation,  as  he  floats  upon  their  placid 
waters,  or  in  vain  attempts  to  sound  their  almost 
fathomless  depths.  Here  the  Sacramento,  San  Joa- 
quin, and  Klamath  rivers  have  their  source.  Down 
the  sides,  ridges,  spurs,  and  gorges  of  this  range,  and 
its  foot-hills  and  gulches,  the  men  of  every  clime  search 
for  gold ;  and,  up  from  the  parched  and  arid  plains  and 
heat  of  summer,  man  and  beast  seek  cooling  fountains 
of  pure  water  and  new  life,  in  the  rich  verdure  and 
changing  scenes  of  the  charming  Sierras,  whose  gran- 
deur of  mountains,  granite  domes,  cascades,  lakes, 
forests,  and  foliage  surpass  in  natural  beauty  the 
forests  and  glaciers  of  the  Alps  and  the  fascinations 
of  Como,  Neufchatel,  and  Lucerne. 


MOUNTAIN  CHAINS  AND  PEAKS. 


159 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Mountains — Sierra  Nevadas — ^Winter,  spring,  and  summer  in  the 
Sierras  —  Snows  of  the  mountains  —  Farming,  lumbering,  and 
grazing  in  the  Sierras — Forests — Big  trees — Shrubs — Plants— 
Flowers^ — Grasses — Poison  oak. 

The  description  already  given  of  the  Coast  Range 
and  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  will  have  sufficiently 
defined  the  two  great  mountain  ranges  of  California. 

For  the  better  information  of  the  reader,  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  principal  mountains  of  the  State,  with  the 
counties  in  which  they  are  located,  is  here  given.  In 
the  description  of  the  several  counties,  the  leading  feat- 
ures of  interest — as  the  valleys,  forests,  mountains, 
lakes,  and  rivers — are  more  minutely  described. 

In  the  Coast  Range,  the  following  are  the  principal 
peaks:  Tamalpats,  Marin  county,  2,597  ^^^^\  Monte 
Diablo,  Contra  Costa  county,  3,856;  Mount  St.  Helena^ 
Napa  county,  4,343 ;  Mount  Hamilton,  Santa  Clara 
county,  4,443 ;  Mount  Pinos,  Santa  Barbara  county, 
7,300;  Mount  San  Bernardino,  San  Bernardino  county, 
8,500;  Mount  Ripley,  Lake  county,  7,500;  Mount  Dow- 
ney, Los  Angeles  county,  5,675;  besides  many  other 
mountain  peaks  in  this  range  of  from  four  thousand  to 
five  thousand  feet 

The  chief  mountains  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  range,  in 
California,  are  the  volcanic  cones  near  Mono  lake,  Mono 
county,  9,300  feet;  Dome  mountain,  Tulare  county, 
g,Z2y,  Lassen  Peak,  Shasta  county,  10,577;  Silver  moun- 
tain, Alpine  county,  10,934;  Mount  Hoffman,  Alpine 
county,    10,872;    Cathedral  Peak,    Mariposa   county. 


i.6o. 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


I  i,ooo ;  Mount  Silliman,  Tulare  county,  1 1,623 ;  Castle 
Peak,  Mono  county,  1 3,000 ;  Lyell  Peak,  Mono  county, 
13,217;  Mount  Dana,  Mono  county,  13,227;  Mount 
Brewer,  Mono  county,  13,886;  Mount  King,  Fresno 
county,  14,000;  Mount  Shasta,  Siskiyou  county,  14,440; 
Mount  Tyndell,  Tulare  county,  14,386;  Mount  Wil- 
liams, Tulare  county,  14,500;  and  Mount  Whitney, 
Tulare  county,  15,000,  the  highest  mountain  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

The  two  main  chains  of  mountains  in  California — 
the  Coast  Range  and  the  Sierras — are  not  of  the  bar- 
ren and  desolate  character  that  many  might  suppose. 
The  Coast  Range,  southward  of  the  Golden  Gate,  pre- 
sents many  rugged,  wild,  frowning,  rocky  crags,  and 
bald,  granite  peaks;  but  the  general  range  of  this  chain 
is  filled  with  rich  ravines  and  small  valleys,  and  even 
the  rolling  hills,  high  above  the  clouds  and  fog-banks 
of  summer,  are  in  many  places  rich  in  deep  soil,  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  wild  oats,  grass,  and  flowers, 
well  suited  to  agriculture  or  grazing,  well  wooded,  and 
abounding  in  beautiful,  never-failing  streams  of  water. 

The  Sierra  Nevadas,  averaging  from  fifty  to  seventy 
miles  in  width  and  over  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in 
length  in  California,  are  by  no  means  a  desert  of  eter- 
nal snow  and  frowning  granite :  on  the  highest  ridges, 
deep  snow  falls  during  the  winter  months,  but  the  cli- 
mate in  the  entire  range  is  not  so  cold  as  in  the  State 
of  Virginia  or  portions  of  Kentucky  during  the  corre- 
sponding months.  The  snow-fall  in  this  range  begins 
toward  the  end,  of  November,  and  continues  through  the 
winter  months  until  April,  during  which,  upon  the  high 
ridges,  there  is  a  snow-fall  of  from  ten  to  forty  feet, 
but  on  the  middle  and  lower  ranges  only  of  a  few  feet, 


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II 


SOIL,  SEASONS,  AND  VEGETATION. 


I6l 


which  disappears  in  April,  when  spring  opens  balmy 
and  pleasant.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  this 
range  is  deep  loam  soil,  fit  for  agriculture,  with  rich 
meadows  from  which  are  cut  large  quantities  of  hay. 
This  district  affords  the  finest  pasture-range  in  summer 
on  the  whole  coast.  In  this  range,  also,  down  its  rug- 
ged sides,  are  the  vast  forests  of  firs,  oaks,  and  pines, 
which  will  be  found  more  fully  described  under  the 
head  of  "  Forests"  further  on. 

Snow  almost  entirely  disappears  from  the  Sierras  in 
summer.  By  the  middle  of  July,  not  a  trace  of  winter 
can  be  se^n  except  in  a  few  isolated  spots,  where,  high 
up  in  the  clouds,  clinging  to  the  northern  side  of  some 
towering  peak,  may  be  seen  small  patches  of  snow,  as 
if  dodging. and  hiding  from  the  powerful  rays  of  the 
sun,  which  through  the  long  summer  pours  down  its 
scorching  floods  of  light  and  heat,  melting  all  before  it 
and  parching  the  valleys  below. 

Farming,  lumbering,  and  grazing  are  carried  on  with 
success  in  this  range.  Indeed,  it  is  yearly  becoming  the 
resort  of  the  tourist,  and  thousands  of  the  citizens  of 
the  towns  and  villages  of  the  scorched  plains  of  the 
lower  country  repair  hither  in  the  summer  months,  to 
bask  beneath  the  luxuriant  foliage,  angle  in  the  streams, 
float  upon  the  placid  lakes,  gaze  upon  the  towering 
columns  of  the  smooth  granite  and  slate  mountain 
peaks,  which,  like  cathedral  domes,  lift  their  imposing 
heads  above  the  clouds ;  or  wander  upon  the  verdant 
lawn,  in  admiration  of  the  mysterious  wonders  and 
beauties  of  the  famed  Yosemite,  whose  ever-changing 
scenes  of  gauzy  vapor,  and  dancing,  fickle  rainbows, 
present  scenes  more  like  the  fabled  dreams  of  fairy  land 
than  the  realities  of  earth, 


II 


l62 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


FORESTS. 


The  greater  part  of  the  State  of  California  (except 
the  high  mountains)  consists  of  rolling  hills,  rich  and 
fertile  valleys,  swamp  and  overflowed  lands,  and  is 
entirely  free  from  rock ;  and,  .as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  in  all  directions,  without  tree  or  shrub  of  any 
kind,  except  a  fringe  of  willow  or  cottonwood  about  the, 
edges  of  the  streams  and  springs,  a  few  clumps  of 
broadspread  oaks  in  the  valleys,  or  straggling  ones 
about  the  ravines  and  canons  of  the  hills. 

Along  the  Coast  Range,  the  Sierras,  and  the  various 
smaller  mountain  chains  and  ridges,  forests  of  oak^ 
pine,  white  and  red  cedar,  cypress,  laurel,  fir,  and  other 
species  are  abundant  west  of  Santa  Cruz ;  south  of  this 
point,  in  the  Coast  Range,  timber  is  confined  chiefly  to 
scattering  trees  or  a  few  groups  of  inferior  growth. 
Redwood — a  species  of  cedar— ^grows  in  great  profu- 
sion, is  of  common  use  in  house-building,  and  forms  a 
staple  commercial  lumber  throughout  the  State.  This 
tree  grows  to  a  great  size :  one  in  Santa  Cruz  county 
is  tvvo  hundred  and. seventy-five  feet  in  height  and  nine- 
teen feet  in  diameter.  Many  trees  can  be  found  among 
this  class  of  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  six,  eight,  ten,  and  fourteen 
feet  in  diameter.  The  wood  is  of  a  reddish  color,  very 
free  from  knots,  and  splits  easily;  is  very  durable, 
although  not  very  strong. 

Common  to  the  Coast  Range,  valleys  and  hills,  is  a 
great  variety  of  trees  and  shrubs  of  variegated  and 
beautiful  appearance,  differing  very  essentially  from  the 
same  species  in  other  countries ;  many  of  them  entirely 
confined  to  the  State  of  California.  In  the  large  variety 
in  the  State  are  the  wild  nutmeg,  iron  wood,  poplar 


trel 


"BIG  TREES,"    MARIPOSA  AND   CALVERAS   GROVES,   CALIFORNIA. 

(First  tree,  350  feet  high  and  28  feet  in  diameter;  Second  tree  386  feet  high  and  31  feet  in 

diameter.) 


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FORESTS,   TREES,  AND  SHRUBS. 


163 


white  cedar,  cypress,  Monterey  pine,  walnut,  willow, 
dogwood,  cherry,  white  maple,  in  the  southern  coast ; 
throughout  the  central  and  northern  part  of  the  State 
may  be  found  the  yew,  chestnu;,  ish,  •  'ler,  cottonwood, 
manianita,  madrofia,  laurel,  rhinquapir,  oak,  sycamore, 
balsam-fir,  spruce,  cedar,  sugar  ar-^  othor  pine,  walnut, 
dogwood,  crab-apple,  buckchoni,  lilac  cherry,  plum, 
j]frape-vine,  vine-maple,  and  sequoia,  ^minimoth  tree.) 

it  will  be  observed  that  Californir*  is  destitute  of  many 
•  of  the  species  of  valuable  timber  of  the  Atlantic  States 
and  Canada,  such  as  beech,  birch,  sugar-maple,  hemlock, 
juniper,  elm,  and  hickory.  To  compensate  in  some 
degree  for  the  loss  of  those  valuable  forest  trees  Cali- 
fornia has  many  species  peculiar  to  her  soil,  not  to  be 
found  in  any  other  part  of  the  globfe ;  indeed  all  her 
trees,  flowers,  and  shrubs  seem  to  be  different  from 
those  in  any  other  country,  many  of  the  former  supply- 
ing the  finest  quality  of  cabinet  and  house  timber. 


THE   BIG    TREES. 

These  are  found  only  in  the  Sierra  range,  and  chiefly 
in  the  groups  of  Calaveras,  Mariposa,  Tuolumne,  and 
Tulare  counties.  They  stand  in  solitary  grandeur,  as 
the  most  gigantic  specimens  of  vegetable  life  on  the 
globe.  These  giants  of  the  forest  stand  in  the  valleys 
nestled  in  this  chain  of  mountains  at  an  elevation  of 
from  four  thousand  to  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea; 
and  as  no  vegetable  life  exists  in  this  range  above  nine 
thousand  feet  altitude,  their  tops  are  much  below  that 
range.  There  are  seven  distinct  groups  of  these  mam- 
moth trees — three  in  Mariposa  county,  two  in  Tulare, 
and  one  each  in  Tuolumne  and  Calaveras  counties. 
The. group  in  the  latter  county  was  the  first  discovered, 


1 64 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  possesses  among  its  numbers  the  tallest  tree  known 
in  the  State. 

To  persons  who  have  not  visited  the  Pacific  coast 
and  seen  the  immense  forests  of  California,  Oregon, 
and  Washington  Territory,  a  description  of  these  forpsts 
of  the  Sierras  sounds  like  romance.  To  the  lumbermen 
of  the  Baltic  and  -Penobscot,  who  look  upon  a  pine  of 
eighty  to  one  hundred  feet  high  and  three  to  six  feet  in 
diameter  as  a  monster,  2.  description  of  the  "  Big  Tree 
Grove  "  of  Calaveras  county,  some  of  the  trees  of  which 
are  four  hundred  and  thirty-five  feet  in  length  and  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet  in  circumference  at  the  base,  or 
more  than  thirty-three  feet  in  diameter,  must  seem 
ridiculous.  One  of  these  monsters  was  cut  down  some 
years  ago,  by  boring  with  long  augers,  which  occupied 
five  men  constantly  for  twenty- two  days,  equal  to  one 
hundred  and  ten  days  labor  of  one  man ;  the  stump, 
levelled  and  planed  off,  being  twenty-seven  feet  in 
diameter,  has  often  been  the  scene  of  cotillion  parties 
and  festive  gatherings — not  of  children,  but  of  full- 
grown,  able-bodied  California  men  and  women.  An- 
other of  these  giants  now  fallen  is  hollow,  forming  a 
tunnel  so  large  that  parties  have  often  rode  into  it  on 
horseback  for  seventy  feet,  turned  the  horse  around 
and  rode  out  without  dismounting.  The  top  is  broken 
off,  and  two  horsemen  can  ride  abreast  through  this 
tree  for  its  entire  length  without  stooping. 

These  trees  grow  in  a  deep,  rich  soil ;  the  wood  is 
soft,  light,  and  dry,  splitting  freely,  of  a  reddish  color, 
and  is  valuable  for  building  purposes ;  it  much  resem- 
bles red  cedar. 

The  Calaveras  grove  is  situated  in  Calaveras  county, 
between  the  Stanislaus  and  Calaveras  rivers,  twenty 


The 

about 

Jt  con 

varying 

three  h 

twenty 

over  ai] 

thousan 

giants  n. 

feet,  anc 

Giant' 


GIANTS  OF  THE  FOUEST. 


165 


miles  east  of  Mokelumne  Hill,  and  4,760  feet  above  the 
sea-level.  There  are  ninety-two  of  the  "Big  Tree" 
species  in  the  group ;  ten  of  them  are  over  thirty  feet 
in  diameter,  and  eighty-two  of  a  diameter  from  fifteen 
to  thirty  feet,  ranging  from  two  hundred  and  forty  to 
three  hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  in  height.  A  list  of 
twenty-five  of  the  largest  trees  of  the  Calaveras  group 
is  here  given,  with  the  names : 


Names  of  the  Trees. 


T.  Starr  King 

General  Scott 

General  Jackson 

Two  Sentinels,  (frqnt 

of  hotel) 

Salem  Witch 

Trinity 

Mother  of  the  Forest.. 
William  C.  Bryant.. 
Henry  W.  Beecher . 

Granite  State 

General  Washington 
Abraham  Lincoln  ..., 


«i 

ss: 

s 

c  0  . 

s 

fere 
.  ab 
lots 

'i 

Ec:  't. 

"I 
u 

ircu 
six 
the 

w 

U 

366 

SO 

327 

45 

320 

42 

315 

«•• 

310 

>>. 

308 

48 

30s 

63 

30s 

49 

291 

45 

286 

50 

284 

52 

281 

44 

Names  of  the  Trees. 


Bay  State 

Old  Kentucky 

Empire  State 

Andrew  Johnson 

Daniel  Webster 

Mother  and  Son 

Edward  Everett 

Pride  of  tlhe  Forest... 

Vermont 

John  Torrey,  (nobis) 

ArborvitJE  Queen 

Beauty  of  the  Forest. 
Henry  Clay 


.5 


280 
277 

27s 
273 
270 
269 
265 
260 
259 
259 
258 
258 
241 


u  > 

U.2  I 


48 

45 

50 
32 

49 
64 
46 
50 
41 
35 
31 

44 


The  Mariposa  group,  in  Mariposa  county,  is  situated 
about  thirty  miles  southeast  of  the  town  of  Mariposa. 
It  consists  of  four  hundred  and  twenty-seven  trees, 
varying  in  size  from  two  hundred  and  seventy-'five  to 
three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  and  from 
twenty  to  thirty- four  feet  in  diameter.  They  extend 
over  an  area  of  about  five  hundred  acres,  about  six 
thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  One  of  these 
giants  now  prostrate  indicates  a  length  of  four  hundred 
feet,  and  a  diameter  of  about  forty  feet.  "  Tl?e  Grizzly 
Giant"  is  the  king  of  this  group,  being  about  thirty- 


1 66 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


four  feet  in  diameter,  and  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  in  height.  There  are  three  other  groups  in 
this  county,  near  the  Mariposa  grove:  one  contains 
eighty-six  and  the  other  thirty-five  mammoth  trees, 
averaging  about  the  diameters  of  those  already  de- 
scribed. 

Throughout  Ttiolumne  county  groups  of  the  "Big 
Trees"  are  found;  and  still  further  south,  in  Tuhre 
county,  at  an  elevation  of  about  sixty-five  hundred  feet, 
and  about  forty-six  miles  northeast  of  the  town  of 
Visalia,  scattered  over  a  range  of  fifty  miles  in  length, 
hundreds  of  these  trees  are  found ;  and,  although  the 
average  height  is  not  so  great  as  those  of  Calaveras 
and  Mariposa,  some  now  prostrate  are  as  great  in  girth 
as  the  largest  in  the  State.  The  largest  standing  tree 
of  this  group  is  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet  in 
height,  and  one  hundred  and  six  feet  in  circumference ; 
a  portion  of  it  had  been  burnt  away ;  originally  its  girth 
is  supposed  to  have  been  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet. 

Not  the  least  remarkable  about  these  mountain  mon- 
archs  is  their  age,  ascertained  by  scientific  observation 
to  be  in  some  cases  from  one  thousand  to  three  thou- 
sand years;  and  still  there  they  stand,  in  primeval 
majesty,  defiant  of  sun,  rain,  frost,  and  storms,  unen- 
cumbered by  branches,  erect,  well  proportioned.  In 
their  crowns  of  evergreen  they  look  down  from  their 
aerial  heights  upon  their  offspring,  young  giants  in  the 
bud  or  a  few  hundred  years  of  age,  struggling  for  the 
mastery  over  the  oak  and  sturdy  pitch  and  sugar  pine, 
soon  to  be  dwarfed  In  comparison,  as  the  young  sequoia 
lifts  his  arms  into  the  clouds. 


■^  coTirl 


SECTION    OF    MAMMOTH    TREE,   CALIFORNIA. 
(31  Feet  in  diameter.) 


A  COTITMON    PARTY   OF   THIRTY-TWO   PERSONS    DANCINO  ON   THE  STUMP   OF 

THE   MAMMOTH   TREE. 


an 

mj 

AI 

bei 

the 

bei 

pla 

all 

mu: 

stal 

brai 

upo 

atta 

wor] 

a  sc 

peof 

Calii 


over 

Coas 

three 

in  th( 

being 

affect 

conta( 

the  aij 

with  J 

Unplej 


INDIGENOUS  PRODUCTIONS. 


167 


SHRUBS,  PLANTS,  FLOWERS,  AND  GRASSES. 

Of  the  classes  of  indigenous  shrubs,  plants,  flowers, 
and  grasses  there  is  a  great  number  and  a  great  variety, 
many  of  them  of  much  beauty,  fragrance,  and  value. 
Alder,  cottonwood,  lilac,  wild  cherry,  plum,  grape,  bam- 
berry,  current,  blueberry,  (a  few  of  this  latter,  only  in 
the  Coast  Range,)  strawberries,  raspberries,  black' 
berries,  salmonberries,  tar-weed,  white  lervisia,  pitcher- 
plant,  soft  arnica,  wild  flax,  and  wild  mustard  abound 
all  over  the  coast,  valleys,  and  hill-sides.  The  wild 
mustard  grows  in  great  fields,  or  forests,  some  of  the 
stalks  attaining  twelve  and  fourteen  feet  in  height,  with 
branches,  to  which  a  horse  can  safely  be  hitched,  and 
upon  which  the  birds  lodge.  The  berry  of  this  plant 
attains  a  size,  quality,  and  perfection  unequalled  in  the 
world ;  and  the  gathering  of  it  of  late  years  has  proved 
a  source  of  profitable  employment  to  thousands  of 
people.  Thei*e  is  enough  mustard  growing  wild  in 
California  to  supply  the  market  of  the  whole  world. 


POISON    OAK. 

The  poison  oak  of  California  exists  pretty  generally 
over  the  State ;  but  abounds  in  the  lower  valleys  and 
Coast  Range.  Generally  it  is  a  little,  straggling  shrub, . 
three  or  four  feet  high,  with  dark  red,  glaze-like  leaves; 
in  the  shade  of  trees,  it  climbs  like  a  vine,  the  leaves 
being  broader  and  of  a  light  green.  Many  persons  are 
affected  by  this  poisonous  shrub,  either  by  coming  in 
contact  with  it  or  having  its  poisonous  gases  carried  in 
the  air ;  it  generally  affects  the  face  and  exposed  parts 
with  swelling  and  itching,  which  is  very  painful  and 
Unpleasant.     Those  f  ersons  subject  to  this  affliction  are 


168 


Tff£   GOLDEN  STATE. 


liable  to  repeated  attacks ;  and,  as  but  little  is  generally 
known  about  the  treatment  necessary,  some  of  the  most 
effective  remedies  are  here  given,  all  of  which  are  simple 
and  applied  externally:  constant  applications  of  hot 
waf'ir  to  the  parts  affected,  steam  or  hot  baths,  warm 
solutions  of  sugar  of  lead,  water  of  ammonia,  warm 
vinegar  and  water ;  all  applied  as  hot  as  can  be  com- 
fortably endured.  On  the  authority  of  Dr.  Colbert  A. 
Canfield^  of  California,  a  recipe  is  here  given,  which 
beyond  doubt  is  most  effective :  a  decoction  made  by 
stewing  either  the  dried  or  green  leaves  or  by  rubbing 
the  bruised  green  leaves  of  the  grindelia,  a  plant  grow- 
ing in  many  parts  of  California,  especially  in  the  south. 
It  is  a  tall  pv-^rennial  belonging  to  the  composite  family, 
and  looks  lik>^  a  small  sunflower.  It  is  from  one  to  two 
feet  high,  has  bright  yellow  flowers  in  heads  of  one  or 
two  inches  in  diameter ;  the  buds,  and  even  the  leaf, 
contain  a  sticky  balsam  or  resinous  matter;  its  medici- 
nal qualities  are  supposed  to  be  contained  in  its  resinous 
or  balsamy  matter.  It  has  long  been  known  to  the 
Indians  and  native  Spanish  of  California,  not  only  as  a 
cure  for  poison  oak,  but  in  many  skin  diseases,  as  salt- 
rheum,  nettle-rash,  and  many  others.  A  small  quantity 
of  this  herb  gathered  in  season,  and  kept  in  every 
family,  would,  if  properly  applied,  save  much  anxiety 
and  suffering  from  the  effects  of  poison  oak. 

Of  the  grasses  and  plants,  many  species  abound,  but 
in  no  part  of  the  Stc*te  do  they  form  a  sod:  the  roots 
die  out  by  the  heat  of  summer,  except  with  the  "bunch 
grass,"  which  grows  in  many  parts  of  the  whole  Pacific 
coast,  springing  from  the  roots,  and  forming  large  and 
'  high  clumps.  It  affords  excellent  pasturage,  and  the 
new  crop  is  generated  from  the  seeds  which  fall  into  the 


GRASSES,  HAY,  AND  PASTURAGE. 


169 


crevices  of  the  earth,  and  start  immediately  after  the 
first  rains  in  November.  In  February,  March,  April, 
May,  and  June,  the  whole  country,  hill-sides  and  valleys, 
seem  to  be  covered  with  grass  and  clover,  and  for  miles 
present  a  charming  scene  of  shades  and  ridges  of  yellow, 
red,  white,  and  variegated  flowers. 

The  v/ild  oats,  which  seem  to  ^row  everywhere,  is  a 
staple  article  of  pasturage,  and*  is  cut  in  great  quantities 
for  hay.  Its  growth  is  very  luxuriant,  in  many  places  as 
dense  and  tall  as  the  best  fields  of  cultivated  oats.  In 
seventeen  years  residence  or^  the  Pacific  coast,  the  author 
has  never  seen  a  spear  of  timothy  grown  in  California : 
the  dry  seasons  kill  the  roots.  I  do  not  believe  there 
is  a  spear  of  it  growing  in  the  State,  unless  in  some 
small  valleys  in  the  Sierras,  or  where  it  is  constantly 
irrigated  during  the  summer  months.  Wild  oats,  oats, 
and  barley,  cut  green,  form  the  staple  "  hay "  of  Cali- 
fornia ;  and,  strange  to  say,  barley  throughout  the  State 
is  given  to  horses  generally  in  preference  to  oats. 
Through  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory,  timothy 
grows  well ;  some  fields  along  the  Columbia  surpass- 
ing the  finest  growth  of  the  Atlantic  States. 


170 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Valleys — Trees,   vegetables,   fruits,   flowers,  grain,  and   grasses — 
Lakes — Alkaline  and  borax  lakes — Dry  lakes — Death  valley.     . 

VALLEYS. 

The  vast  and  fertile  valleys  of  California,  stretching 
over  a  length  of  country  of  seven  hundred  miles,  form 
the  richest  and  most  variegated  agricultural  district  in 
the  world,  produce  almost  every  species  of  tropical  and 
semi-tropical  trees,  fruits,  nuts,  herbs,  flowers,  and 
grasses,  and  yield  most  abundantly  of  wheat,  barley, 
potatoes,  fruit,  and  vegetables. 

Nearly  all  the  valleys  of  the  State  run  parallel  with 
the  coast.  The  three  chief  are  the  San  Joaquin,  Sacra- 
mento, and  Santa  Clafa ;  but  the  two  last,  in  which  are 
numerous  others  divided  and  subdivided  within  their 
general  area  of  about  five  hundred  miles  in  length  by 
sixty  in  width,  form  the  great  agricultural  field  of  Cali- 
fornia, completely  enclosed  between  the  Sierra  Nevada 
and  the  Coast  Range  of  mountains;  these,  running 
almost  north  and  south  for  five  hundred  miles,  nearly 
join  by  curving  toward  each  other  in  Siskiyou  county 
at  the  north,  near  the  southern  line  of  Oregon,  and 
joining  at  the  south  in  Los  Angeles  county,  at  Mount 
Pinos,  leaving  to  the  south  and  east  of  the  Sierras  the 
vast  deserts  and  valleys  of  San  Bernardino  and  San 
Diego  counties,  stretching  east  and  south  to  the  west- 
em  line  of  Arizona,  the  river  Colorado,  and  Lower 
California.  A  fuller  description  of  the  soil,  area,  &c., 
of  these  valleys  will  be  found  in-  the  chapter  descriptive 


Pl^ 


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Gc 


LAKES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


171 


of  the  several  counties  and  of  the  agricultural  resources 
of  the  State. 

LAKES.  / 

■  There  are  twenty-two  principal  lakes  in  California, 
with  an  area  of  29,641  square  miles ;  besides  innumera- 
ble small  ones,  some  of  very  respectable  size,  of  con- 
siderable depth,  and  of  great  natural  beauty.  Some, 
elevated  high  in  the  Sierras,  contain  crystal  water,  with 
abundance  of  fish,  while  others,  low  in  the  alkaline  flats, 
are  so  acrid  and  bitter  that  no  animal  life  can  be  found 
within  their  waters,  floating  on  their  surface,  or  par- 
taking of  their  pungent  fluid. 

Tulare  Lake. — ^This  lake  is  situated  iu  Tulare  county, 
its  southern  line  being  the  western  boundary  of  a  por- 
tion of  Kern  county.  It  is  about  seventy  miles  directly 
east  from  the  town  of  San  Louis  Obispo,  /hich  lies 
close  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  in  the  county  of  that  name, 
and  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  south  from  San  Fran- 
cisco. This  is  the  largest  lake  in  the  State,  being  thirty- 
three  miles  in  length  by  twenty  in  width.  The  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains  being  directly  on  the  east  of  it,  send 
down  innumerable  streams;  many  of  which,  such  as 
Kings,  Kern,  and  Elk,  are  of  considerable  size,  and  pour 
their  floods  into  this  lake,  which  forms  the  common  recep- 
tacle of  all  the  waters  of  a  vast  area  of  country.  Strange 
as  it  may  seem,  there  is  no  visible  outlet  to  this  great 
sheet  of  water.  In  the  rainy  season,  the  land  upon  the 
west  and  east  sides,  being  low,  is  overflowed  to  a  great 
extent,  forming  tule  and  swamp.  It  is  supposed  that 
there  must  be  some  subterranean  outlet  to  this  sheet 
of  water. 

Goose  Laxe. — ^This  is  second  in  size  of  all  the  lakes 


172 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


in  California,  and  is  situated  on  the  State  lines  of  Oregon 
and  California,  about  one-third  in  Oregon  and  two-thirds 
in  California,  in  Siskiyou  county,  and  about  seventeen 
miles  from  the  extreme  northeast  corner  of  the  State. 
It  is  thirty-three  miles  in  length  by  nine  in  breadth,  and 
is  surrounded  by  a  richly  timbered  and  agricultural 
country,  but  almost  wholly  uninhabited. 

Rhett  Lake. — This  lake  is  also  in  Siskiyou  county, 
about  eight  miles  east  of  Goose  lake,  and  close  to  the 
Oregon  State  line.  Its  greatest  length  is  about  four- 
teen miles,  and  its  width  about  eleven. 

Wright  Lake — Also  in  Siskiyou  county,  is  six  miles 
directly  east  of  Rhett  lake,  and  four  miles  from  the 
Oregon  State  line.  It  is  ten  miles  in  length  by  five  in 
width. 

Alkali  Lakes. — Three  lakes,  bearing  each  the  name 
of  Alkali,  are  situated  in  the  eastern  limit  of  Siskiyou 
county,  and  east  of  the  Sierras.,  running  more  than 
three-fourths  of  the  width  of  the  county,  in  a  northerly 
and  southerly  direction,  close  to  the  State  line  between 
California  and  Nevada,  They  are  in  one  of  the  richest 
agricultural  valleys  in  the  State.  Innumerable  streams 
running  from  the  north  and  west  empty  into  them ;  and, 
although  these  streams  are  of  crystal  purity,  the  water 
of  the  lakes  is  so  alkaline  that  no  living  thing  is  found 
in  them.  Surprise  valley,  in  which  they  are  situated, 
contains  some  excellent  agricultural  land.  The  streams 
and  lakes  at  certain  seasons  swarm  with  wild  fowls, 
geese,  ducks,  and  crane. 

The  most  northerly  of  these  lakes  is  fifteen  miles 
south  of  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State ;  its  length 
is  fifteen  miles,  and  its  width  eight.     The  centre  one  is 


.i^ 


LAKES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


/^ 


about  three  miles  south  of  the  northern  one,  and  is  six- 
teen miles  in  length  and  seven  in  width.  The  one 
farthest  south  is  connected  with  the  centre  one  by  a 
strip  of  water  of  three  miles  in  length.  The  lake  is 
nine  miles  long  and  nine  broad ;  a  portion  of  it  is  in 
the  northeast  corner  of  Lassen  county. 

Lower  Klamath  Lake. — This  lake  is  directly  on  the 
boundary  line  between  California  and  Oregon — half  in 
each  State ;  and  is  high  in  the  Sierras  amidst  rugged 
hills  and  the  desolate  table-lands  of  Siskiyou  county. 
Its  extent  is  fifteen  miles  in  length  by  r.ix  in  width,  and 
is  connected  by  a  stream  of  five  miles  in  length  with 
Upper  Klamath  lake,  lying  directly  north  and  in  the 
State  of  Oregon,  and  with  Rhett  lake,  in  Siskiyou 
county,  by  a  stream  of  nine  miles  in  length. 

Lake  Tahoe. — Fourth  in  size  is  this  queen  of  the 
Sierras,  whose  frowning  granite  walls  upon  the  one  side 
and  rich  foliage  upon  the  other  have  been  the  theme  of 
romantic  poets,  enthusiastic  tourists,  and  sighing  lovers. 
It  is  situated  high  in  the  Sierras,  one-half  being  upon 
each  side  of  the  boundary  line  between  the  States  of 
California  and  Nevada,  and  partly  in  the  counties  of 
Placer  and  El  Dorado.  It  is  twenty-one  miles  in  length 
by  twelve  in  width,  and  6,220  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  nestled  up  among  the  tall  pines,  firs,  and  oaks,  and 
overtopped  by  the  towering  pinnacles  and  snow-capped 
crowns  of  the  Sierras,  which  reflect  their  lengthened 
shadov^s  upon  its  placid  bosom,  as  the  setting  sun  gilds 
in  golden  hues  the  rich,  wild,  but  picturesque  and  beauti- 
ful scenery  around.  The  wild  and  leaping  surge  and 
deafening  roar  of  the  Niagara  may  impress  the  beholder 
with  the  terrible  power  of  Omnipotence ;  but  to  fill  the 


174 


THE   GOLDEi^  STATE. 


soul  with  that  sweet  inspiration  which  calmly  draws 
us  into  communion  with  the  harmony  of  nature,  the 
sublimity  of  perfection,  and  a  contemplation  of  a  better 
land,  we  must  stand  upon  the  silvery  shores  of  Lake 
Tahoe,  wliile,  amidst  a  stillness  sublime  and  awful,  the 
rays  of  the  morning  sun  like  ribbons  of  gold  dart 
through  the  chasms  of  the  frowning  mountains  and 
through  the  dense  forest,  streaking  v'th  amber  and 
golden  sheen  the  placid  blue  waters,  through  whose 
transparent  depths  the  landscape  is  mirrored  below ;  or, 
at  the  close  of  day,  beneath  the  deep  shadow  of  the 
stern  Sierras,  watch  the  mountain  monarch  as  he  comes 
from  his  forest  glen  to  bathe  his  parch-^d  lips  in  this 
grand  aerial  urn — God's  fountain  in  the  wilderness,  to 
beautify  His  footstool  and  invigorate  His  creatures. 

But  ILake  Tahoe  is  not  always  dreamy,  calm,  and 
placid :  her  fair  smiles  are  often  converted  into  frowns 
terribly  threatening  and  uneasy.  When  the  storm- 
cloud  breaks  over  the  Sierras,  and  the  snow-flakes  fly 
fast  before  the  thickening  gale,  she  dashes  her  angry 
foam  in  seething,  fitful  wrath  upon  the  heeding  rocks 
and  green  sward  on  the  shores,  striking  with  terror  the 
unfortunate  navigator,  who,  with  his  frail  craft,  i^  often 
submerged  beneath  its  whelming  waters. 

The  colors  and  transparency  of  this  beautiful  sheet  of 
water  are  some  of  its  principal  attractions.  The  shore 
of  the  lake  is  a  hard,  grayish  sand.  The  water,  which 
is  a  pea-green,  gradually  deepens,  leaving  the  bottom 
of  the  lake  at  eighty  feet  clearly  visible ;  at  about  half 
a  mile  from  shore,  the  color  ;changes  to  a  deeper  green, 
but  from  first  tinged  witii  blue ;  about  one  mile  from 
shore,  and  where  the  shade  is  a  very  deep  green,  it 
suddenly  changes  to  an  almdst  indigo-blue :  the  lines 


SENTINEL  ROCK    YoSEMITE  VALLEY, 
(4,500  feet  high  above  the  Valley.) 


It 


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angi 


*1«» 


LAKES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


175 


of  these  three  shades  or  colors  are  as  distinctly  drawn 
as  if  painted. 

For  many  years  it  had  been  supposed  that  thiB 
lake  was  bottomless ;  but  recent  soundings  establish 
its  greatest  depth  to  be  about  fifteen  hundred  feet. 
Several  small  boats  ply  on  the  lake,  either  to  fish  for 
trout,  which  are  abundant,  or  for  the  recreation  of  the 
guests  at  the  Tahoe  House  or  Glenbrook  House.  A 
small  steamer,  the  Governor  Blaisdell,  plies  upon  it, 
for  the  accommodation  and  pleasure  of  travellers. 
Coming  years  will  behold  this  rare  gem  of  nature  and 
its  gorgeous  scenery  as  the  recreation-ground  and 
watering-place  of  happy  throngs  of  health  and  pleasure 
seekers. 

Clear  Lake  and  Borax  Lake. — These  sheets  of 
water  are  in  the  centre  of  Lake  county,  about  eighty 
miles  directly  north  of  San  Francisco,  forty  miles  from 
the  ocean,  east  of  the  Coast  Range,  and  about  fifteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  greatest 
length  of  Clear  lake  is  about  twenty  miles ;  at  both  ends 
it  is  about  eight  miles  in  width,  but  contracts  in  the 
centre  to  about  three  miles,  tlose  to  the  eastern  side 
of  this  lake  is  Borax  or  Kayser  lake,  covering  a  surface 
of  from  two  hundred  to  four  hundred  acres,  according 
to  the  season.  Great  quantities  of  pure  borax  of  the 
best  quality  are  taken  from  the  bottom  of  thin  lake. 

Mirror  Lake. — This  fascinating  miniature  lake,  situ- 
ated in  the  famed  Yosemite  valley,  formed  by  the  spent 
waters  of  the  Yosemite  falls,  bathes  the  foot  of  the 
North  Dome,  and  covers  a  surface  of  about  eight  acres. 
It  is  noted  for  its  transparent  beauty.  Here  the  over- 
hanging mountains,  trees,  and  foliage  are  all  mirrored 


176 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


in  the  water  below,  as  clear  and  lifelike  as  they  stand 
upon  its  banks. 

Owens  Lake. — ^This  lake  is  in  Inyo  county,  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  miles  southeast  from  San  Francisco,  and 
directly  east  of  the  principal  chain  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas, 
in  a  country  generally  desolate  and  of  little  agricultural 
value.  The  extent  of  the  lake  is  eighteen  miles  in 
length  by  eight  in  width.  Owens  river,  a  stream  of 
pure  water  and  considerable  value,  running  from  north 
to  south,  empties  into  this  lake,  the  waters  of  which  are 
so  impregnated  with  alkali  and  chloride  of  soda  that  it 
is  unfit  for  man  or  beast.  Like  most  of  the  lakes  in  the 
southern  section  of  the  State  it  has  no  visible  outlet,  and 
is  supposed  to  have  some  subterranean  passage  to  the 
Pacific  ocean. 

Fall  Lake. — This  lake  is  situated  in  the  extreme 
northeast  corner  of  Shasta  county.  It  is  about  four 
miles  in  length  and  three  in  width,  and  is  in  Fall  River 
valley. 

Swan  Lake. — Swan  lake  is  In  the  western  border  of 
Lassen  county,  close  to  Plumas  county.  It  is  six  miles 
in  length  and  three  in  width,  and  high  among  the  hills 
of  the  Sierras. 

Eagle  Lake. — Eagle  lake  is  centred  in  Lasisen  county. 
It  is  of  very  irregular  shape,  and,  like  Swan  Lake,  is  high 
in  the  mountains.  It  is  twelve  miles  in  length  and  about 
eight  in  width.     Its  waters  are  shallow. 

Honey  Lake — Is  twenty  miles  northeast  from  Eagle 
lake,  is  in  Lassen  county,  and  eight  miles  west  of  the 
boundary  line  between  California  and  Nevada.  It  is 
very  irregular  in  shape ;  is  fifteen  miles  in  length  and 


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LAKES  m  CALIFORNIA. 


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nine  in  width.  Its  water  is  very  shallow  and  of  a  saltish 
taste.  It  is  situated  in  Honey  Lake  valley,  a  rich 
meadow  and  farming  district ;  numerous  streams  empty 
into  it,  but  it  has  no  visible  outlet.  It  derives  its  name 
from  the  honey-dew  deposited  upon  the  shrubbery 
and  grass  in  its  vicinity,  by  the  honey-dew  aphis,  a 
species  of  bee  sometimes  found  in  desert  and  barren 
regions. 

DoNNER  Lake. — ^This  beautiful  sheet  of  water  is  in 
the  southeastern  corner  of  Nevada  county,  east  of  the 
main  ridge  of  the  Sierras,  and  twelve  miles  northwest 
of  Lake  Tahoe.  It  is  four  miles  in  length  and  one  in 
width.  The  scenery  and  natural  beauty  of  this  lake 
are  unsurpassed  in  the  State;  its  shores  are  fast 
becoming  a  fashionable  place  of  resort  to  the  lovers  of 
rural  beauty. 

Clear  Lake. — Clear  lake  is  near  the  southeast  ^n'^L 
of  El  Dorado  county,  sixteen  miles  south  of  Lake  Tahoe, 
It  is  high  in  the  Sierras,  and  its  surroundings  are 
beautifully  picturesque.  The  area  of  this  lake  is  two 
miles  in  length  and  one  in  width 

Truckee  Lake. — ^Truckee  lake  is  a  small  but  beautiful 
sheet  of  water  in  the  Sierra  mountains,  sixteen  miles 
directly  west  of  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State,  and 
twelve  miles  northwest  of  Donner  lake.  It  is  in  Sierra 
county,  close  to  its  southern  line;  is  about  one  and 
a-half  miles  in  length  and  three-quarters  in  width. 

Highland  Lakes. — ^These  are  three  lakes  almost  in 
the  centre  of  Alpine  county,  on  a  high  ridge  of  the 
Sierras,  surrounded  by  most  gorgeous  and  imposing 
scenery  of  deep  forest  and  beautiful  meadow.    The 

12 


178 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE, 


waters  of  these  lakes  are  clear  and  of  great  depth. 
They  are  about  one  and  a-quarter  miles  in  length  each, 
and  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  breadth,  and 
within  one  and  a-half  miles  of  each  other. 

Lake  Elenor. — ^This  is  the  principal  lake  in  Tuolumne 
county,  about  eight  miles  from  the  northern  line  of 
Mariposa  county,  and  a  few  miles  from  where  the  Tuo- 
lumne river  falls  twelve  hundred  feet.  It  is  perched 
high  in  the  rugged  Sierras;  is  about  two  miles  in 
length  and  one  mile  in  width. 

Mono  Lake. — Mono  lake  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able sheets  of  water  in  the  world.  It  is  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  Mono  county,  east  of  the  Sierras,  and 
nine  miles  west  of  the  eastern  State  line,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-two  miles  due  east  from  San  Francisco. 
It  is  thirteen  miles  in  length  and  eight  miles  in  width. 
There  are  several  islands  in  it ;  the  two  principal  ones 
close  together  in  its  centre  are  two  miles  each  in  length 
and  a  mile  in  width.  The  lake  is  supposed  to  occupy  the 
bed  of  an  ancient  crater,  and  its  waters  to  be  one  thou- 
sand feet  lower  than  formerly.  Numerous  streams 
empty  into  this  lake,  yet  its  water  Is  so  bitter  and  so 
impregnated  with  lime,  salt,  borax,  and  carbonate  of 
soda  that  no  living  thing  exists  beneath  or  floats  upon 
it;  its  surface  is  a  kind  of  oily  fluid,  over  which  the 
winds  pass  without  causing  a  ripple.  The  wild  fowls 
which  inhabit  the  marshes  and  streams  in  its  vicinity 
never  light  upon  or  touch  its  waters.  From  its  bottom 
are  thrown  volumes  of  water,  from  boiling  springs 
beneath,  with  such  violence  that  a  boat  cannot  be  kept 
upon  its  surface. 

From  the  principal  island  in  this  lake  open  angry 


LAKES  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


179 


mouths,  from  which  are  emitted  gusts  of  steam,  gas, 
and  smoke,  which  attest  the  unquenched  fires  below. 
The  deserted  aspect  of  its  surroundings,  the  volcanic 
cones  which  lift  their  beetling  heads  thousands  of  feet 
above  the  sterile  scene,  all  lend  an  aspect  of  desolation, 
well  entiding  this  cauldron  to  the  name  of  the  "Dead 
Sea." 

It  would  be  well  to  notice  here  that  one  sign  of  life, 
and  one  only,  is  visible  in  this  lake.  In  summer  a 
small  fly  deposits  its  eggs  upon  the  oily  surface ;  soon, 
millions  of  small,  whitish  worms  float  thereon,  drifting 
in  windrows  upon  the  shore,  when  they  are  gathered 
by  the  Indians,  who  make  them  a  staple  of  food  and 
consider  them  a  luxury. 

Guadalupe  Lake — Is  situated  in  the  extreme  western 
corner  of  Santa  Barbara  county,  a  little  less  than  one 
mile  from  the  Pacific  ocean.  It  is  a  long,  narrow  sheet 
of  water  lying  in  a  valley,  extending  in  a  westerly  and 
easterly  direction  seven  miles,  and  is  about  one  mile  in 
width. 

BuENAVESTA  Lake. — ^This  lake  is  in  the  Tulare  valley 
in  Kern  county,  eleven  miles  from  its  western  line. 
It  is  nine  miles  in  length  and  four  and  one-half  miles 
in  width. 

Kern  Lake. — Directly  east  of  Buenavesta  lake,  and 
connected  by  a  narrow  strip  of  water  of  about  four  miles 
in  length,  is  Kern  lake ;  its  course  being  east  and  west, 
about  eight  miles  in  length  and  three  and  a-half  in 
width.  Both  this  and  Buenavesta  lake  are  connected 
by  streams  with  Tulare  lake,  which  is  about  forty-three 
miles  north  of  them. 


i8o 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Dry  Lakes. — From  the  western  line  of  Los  Angeles 
county  on  the  Pacific  ocean  to  the  eastern  boundary  line 
of  this  State,  in  the  centre  of  Inyo  county,  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  thence  southerly  to  the 
extreme  southern  boundary  of  the  State,  at  the  junction 
of  the  Gila  and  Colorado  rivers,  a  distance  of  three  hun- 
dred miles  from  Inyo  county,  and  embracing  the  counties 
of  San  Diego,  San  Bernardino,  Los  Angeles,  and  the 
southern  portions  of  Kern  and  Inyo,  there  is  not  a 
single  lake  of  any  size,  although  this  area  contains  sixty 
thousand  square  miles,  or  more  than  one-third  of  the 
area  of  the  whole  State.  The  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains are  lost  before  they  reach  this  tract,  which,  on  its 
eastern  line,  is  a  dreary  waste  of  alkaline  plains  and 
jagged  volcanic  peaks.  A  great  portion  of  this  area 
was  at  some  remote  period  covered  with  water,  as  the 
numerous  beds  of  dry  lakes  attest  Thc^e  are  eighteen 
of  these  lake-beds  now  dry  in  this  tract,  with  an  area 
of  sixteen  thousand  five  hundred  square  miles,  includ- 
ing Death  Valley ^  in  the  western  corner  of  San  Bernar- 
dino and  the  south  end  of  Inyo  county,  and  twelve 
miles  from  the  eastern  State  line,  embracing  an  area 
of  forty  miles  in  length  and  ten  miles  in  width,  a  great 
portion  of  which  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below 
the  level  of  the  sea,  an  ash-bed  of  burning  sands  and 
alkali  dust 


lie. 


DONNF.R    I.AKR,  AND    RAILROAD   TUNNEL,  SIERRA    NEVADA   MOUNTAINS. 
(6,cno  feet  abovt!  the  sea.) 


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RIVEHS  IN  CALIFORNIA, 


IRI 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Rivers— Tays— Harbors— Bay  of  San  Francisco— Puget  sound- 
Fort  Point— Straits— San  Quentin— Islands— Seal  Rock— Cliff 
House — Sea-lions — Golden  Gate :  origin  of  the  name. 

RIVERS. 

In  the  whole  coast  line  of  California  of  seven  hun- 
dred miles  there  are  no  rivers  of  any  considerable 
magnitude  or  navigable  importance,  except  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Joaquin,  and  they  empty  into  the  Bay 
of  San  Francisco  and  have  their  outlet  through  the 
Golden  Gate. 

Sacramento  River. — This  is  the  principal  navigable 
river  in  the  State ;  its  source  is  high  in  the  Sierras,  in 
the  northern  part  of  Shasta  county,  fed  by  innumerable 
streams  which  dash  wildly  through  deep  cafions  and 
mountain  gorges,  falling  more  than  five  thousand  feet 
in  five  miles.  After  reaching  the  lower  agricultural 
country,  it  flows  in  a  meandering  stream  of  consider- 
able magnitude,  skirted  by  willows,  oaks,  cottonwood, 
and  sycamore  trees.  In  its  serpentine  windings,  it 
passes  through  the  counties  of  Shasta,  Tehama,  and 
Colusa,  forming  the  county  line  between  Sutter,  Yolo, 
Sacramento,  Contra  Costa,  and  Solano,  where  it  empties 
into  Suisun  bay,  then  into  San  Pablo  bay,  and  through 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  to  the  Golden  Gate.  Its 
general  course  is  from  north  to  south  from  its  source 
to  Sacramento  City,  which  is  about  two  hundred  and 
forty  miles;  and  from  Sacramento  to  San  Francisco, 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  its  course  is  from 
east  to  west    Steamers  drawing  three  feet  of  water 


l82 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


run  from  San  Francisco  to  Sacramento,  and  those 
drawing  fifteen  inches  run  from  Sacramento  to  Red 
Bluff,  in  Tehama  county,  two  hundred  and  forty-seven 
miles  from  San  Francisco. 

•  San  Joaquin  River. — ^The  source  of  this  river  is  in 
the  Sierras,  in  an  opposite  direction  from  that  of  the 
Sacramento,  and  in  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  Fresno 
county.  Its  course  is  from  east  to  west,  and  for  its  first 
fifty  miles  it  is  fed  by  a  number  of  mountain  streams, 
which  are  of  great  volume  and  rush  in  precipitous 
descent  through  dark  and  frowning  caftons.  Passing 
through  the  western  part  of  Fresno  county,  it  reaches 
the  fertile  San  Joaquin  valley,  through  which  it  passes 
directly  in  the  centre  of  Merced,  Stanislaus,  and  San 
Joaquin  counties,  finally  emptying  into  the  Sacramento 
at  Suisun  bay.  Steamers  drawing  five  feet  of  w?t'^»'  nm 
upon  this  river  to  Stockton,  at  the  head  of  tide  navi- 
gation, one  hundred  and  iwenty  miles  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  boats  of  lighter  draught  ascend  much  higher 
up  the  river. 

Feather  River. — ^Thls  river  has  its  source  in  the 
rugged  Sierras,  in  Plumas  county,  and  is  fed  by  numer- 
ous crystal  streams  which  leap  in  wild  cascades  down 
abrupt  descents  through  Plumas  and  Butte  counties, 
until  it  reaches  Oroville  and  Marysville :  thirty  miles 
below  the  latter  it  joins  the  Sacramento.  Steamboats 
of  light  draught  run  from  Sacramento  to  Marysville,  a 
distance  of  fifty  miles.  The  general  course  of  the 
stream  is  in  a  southwesterly  direction.  The  beds  of 
this  stream  and  its  tributaries  have  produced  millions 
of  gold.     It  is  not  navigable. 

Yuba  River. — rThis   river,  which   empties   into  the 


and 

Ki 

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porti^ 

For 

and 

cours 


RIVERS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


183 


Feather  river  at  Marysville,  has  its  source  in  the 
Sierras  in  the  eastern  part  of  Nevada  county,  and  near 
the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State.  Its  course  through 
Nevada  and  Yuba  counties  is  among  deep  ravines  and 
gulches,  and  over  the  repositories  of  millions  of  gold. 
It  is  not  navigable. 

American  River. — The  American  river,  so  famous 
in  early  days  for  its  gold  deposits,  has  its  source  near 
Lake  Tahoe  in  the  Sierras.  It  runs  almost  due  west, 
and  forms  the  line  between  the  counties  of  El  Dorado 
and  Placer.  It  is  a  dashing  stream,  often  passing 
through  deep  ravines  and  dark,  shady  forests.  Running 
through  the  lower  portions  of  Sacramento  county,  it 
winds  slowly  through  the  plain  until  it  meets  the 
Sacramento  just  above  Sacramento  City.  It  is  not 
navigable. 

There  are  a  number  of  rivers  emptying  into  the  San 
Joaquin,  having  their  source  high  in  the  Sierras,  and 
running  over  and  through  deep  gorges  and  canons 
toward  the  south,  and  averaging  from  one  hundred  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  length ;  many  of  them 
are  of  great  beauty  and  volume :  among  these  are  the 
Cosumnes,  Mokalumne^  Calaveras.,  Stanislaus,  Tuolumne, 
and  Merced. 

King's  River. — King's  river  is  a  stream  of  much 
volume.  Its  source  is  in  the  Sierras  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  Fresno  county,  and  south  of  the  San  Joaquin. 
For  the  first  fifty  miles  it  rushes  over  precipitous  rocks 
and  mountain  gorges;  striking  the  Tulare  valley,  it 
courses  sluggishly  through  the  tule  swamps  until  it 
empties  into  Tulare  lake.  This  river  is  about  ninety- 
five  miles  in  length. 


i84 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


%^ 


Kern  and  Bravo  Rivers. — Both  these  rivers  have 
their  source  in  the  lower  end  of  the  Sierra  range,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Tulare  county.  They  carry  a  consider- 
able body  of*  water  through  rough  canons  and  gorges, 
until  they  meet  the  tule  lands  of  Kern  county,  v.'here 
they  empty  into  Kern  lake,  from  which  to  their  source 
they  are  more  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in 
length. 

Owens  River. — ^This  river  issues  from  the  White  and 
Palisade  mountains,  east  of  the  Sierras  and  close  to 
the  eastern  line  of  the  State,  in  Mono  county ,  hundreds 
of  little  streams  from  both  sides  of  these  mountains  swell 
its  volume,  its  -ourse  being  southwest,  until  it  empties 
into  Owens  lake.  This  river  is  about  one  hundred  miles 
in  length,  but  is  not  navigable. 

MoHAVA  River. — The  Mohava  river  Issues  from  the 
San  Bernardino  mountains  in  the  western  part  of  San 
Bernardino  county,  sixty  miles  east  from  the  Pacific 
ocean.  Its  course  is  nearly  southeast  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles,  where  it  is  lost  in  the  Sink  of  the  Mohava, 
in  the  southeastern  section  of  San  Bernardino  county. 

Coast  Rivers. — The  rivers  emptying  into  the  Pacific 
ocean,  with  the  exception  of  those  principal  ones  whose 
outlet  is  through  the  Golden  Gate,  are  but  few,  and 
not  one  navigable  except  for  a  short  distance  by  small 
craft  of  light  draught.  There  are  seven  small  streams 
that  empty  into  the  ocean  from  San  Diego  county,  the 
most  southern  county  of  the  State;  none  of  them  a  e  of 
much  importance,  the  greatest  being  about  sixty  miles 
in  length.  They  are  not  navigable.  San  Dieg  >,  San 
Bernardino,  San  Louis  Rey,  and  Margarita  a'e  the 
principal  ones  in  this  county. 


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Sal 


RIVERS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


185 


Six  small  avers  and  numerous  creeks  find  their  way 
from  the  Coast  Range  to  the  Pacific,  the  entire  length 
of  the  State ;  six  have  an  outlet  through  Los  Angeles 
county :  none  of  them  are  navigable.  Santa  Ana  and 
San  Gabriel  are  the  chief  ones,  the  former  being  about 
fifty  miles  in  length.  The  Los  Angeles  is  a  branch,  of 
considerable  magnitude,  of  the  San  Gabriel ;  its  course 
is  from  east  to  west. 

In  Santa  Barbara  county  there  are  bu  three  rivers : 
they  have  their  source  in  the  Coast  Range  and  empty 
into  the  Pacific  ocean :  none  of  them  are  of  any  impor- 
tance. The  Santa  Clara,  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county,  has  its  source  in  the  northern  part  of  Los 
Angeles  county ;  its  length  is  about  fifty  miles.  The 
Santa  Inez,  running  almost  due  west  and  emptying  into 
the  Pacific  ocean  near  the  northern  line  of  Santa  Bar- 
bara county,  is  about  seventy  miles  in  length,  and  is  fed 
by  innumerable  streams. 

Santa  Maria  or  Cuyama  River. — This  river  liac  its 
source  in  the  eastern  portion  of  Santa  Barbara  county, 
and  forms  the  western  line  of  that  county  for  almost 
oi\e  hundred  miles  in  its  serpentine  course  in  a  direct 
westerly  line  cO  the  Pacific  ocean,  where  it  empties  at 
the  Bay  01  San  Louis.     It  is  not  a  navigable  stream. 

Carmel  and  San  Jose  Rivers. — These  two  rivers 
have  their  source  in  Saint  Lucia  mountains,  a  chain  of 
the  Coast  Range,  in  Monterey  county.  They  are  each 
about  fourteen  miles  in  length.  Running  northwest, 
they  empty  into  the  Pacific  at  Cannel  bay,  four  miles 
south  of  the  town  of  Monterey,  in  Monterey  count)^*• 
They  are  not  navigable. 

Salinas  River. — This  is  the  only  stream  of  any  im- 


i86 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


portance  west  of  the  Santa  Inez  to  this  point.  Its  source 
is  in  the  rugged  Santa  Barbara  mountains,  in  the  lower 
end  of  San  Louis  Obispo  county,  through  the  corner  of 
which  it  passes  in  a  northwesterly  course  the  entire 
length  of  the  county,  thence  through  the  centre  of 
Monterey  county  to  the  Bay  of  Monterey  and  the 
Pacific  ocean,  where  it  finds  an  outlet.  Its  course  for 
its  entire  length  of  about  two  hundred  miles  is  alofr 
the  coast  line  about  lift)'  miles  from  the  ocean;  it  is  fed 
by  numerous  streams  which  water  the  fertile  Salinas 
valley. 

Pajaro  River. — This  stream  has  Its  source  In  the 
southern  section  of  the  Mount  Diablo  mountains,  in  the 
southern  part  of  Santa  Clara  county,  running  almost 
west.  It  forms  the  boundary  line  between  the  counties 
of  Santa  Clara,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Monterey.  It  is  about 
forty  miles  in  length,  and  empties  into  Monterey  bay 
about  twenty  miles  south  ot  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz. 
It  is  not  navigable. 

The  San  Felipe  is  considerable  of  a  stream,  having 
its  source  in  Santa  Clara  county,  and  emptying  mto  the 
Pajaro  river. 

San  Benito  river  has  Its  source  about  the  middle  of 
Monterey  county,  nmning  parallel  with  the  ocean  north- 
west for  sixty  miles ;  it  empties  into  the  Pajaro  fourteen 
miles  from  its  mouth. 

San  Lorenzo  River. — The  San  Lorenzo  Is  the  only 
river  in  Santa  Cruz  county.  It  has  its  origin  in  the 
.Coast  Range,  and  runs  south  a  di:  t-anr*^  oj  about  fifteen 
"miles  and  directly  south  of  the  tow  i  of  S?'.-:.  Cruz, 
where  it  empties  into  the  Pacific  ocean.  From  this  point 
northward  along  Santa  Cruz,  San  Mateo,  and  crossing 


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RIVERS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


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the  Golden  Gate,  thence  the  length  of  Marin  county^ 
there  is  not  a  stream  of  any  note  until  reaching  a  third 
of  the  length  of  Sonoma  county. 

Russian  RiVER.-^This  r;  ver  rushes  down  in  consider- 
able  volume  through  the  rugged  peaks  and  canons  of 
the  Coast  Range;  its  source  is  midway  in  the  county  of 
Mendocino,  and  it  is  fed  by  a  number  of  streams.  For 
seventy  miles  its  course  is  almost  due  south,  when,  at 
a  point  in  Sonoma  county,  six  miles  from  the  northern 
corner  of  Napa  county,  it  turns  suddenly  toward  the 
west ;  passing  through  the  centre  of  Sonoma  county,  it 
dashes  in  serpentine  course  through  gu)  :hes  of  the  Coast 
Range  until  it  empties  into  the  Pacific  ocean.  West- 
ward from  this  point,  for  almost  three  degrees  of  lati- 
tude, along  the  northern  half  of  Sonoma  county,  all  of 
Mendocino  county,  and  the  southern  half  of  Humboldt 
county,  the  whole  coast  line  is  indented  with  small 
rivers  and  creeks,  none  of  which  are  of  any  importance  ; 
Wallahalliu,  in  Sonoma  county,  and  Nevar^'o,  Albion, 
Grande,  and  Noyo,  in  Mendocino  county,  and  Mattole 
and  Bern'  rivers,  in  Humboldt  "lounty,  being  the  chief 
ones,  none  of  which  are  navigable. 

Eel  River. — The  source  of  this  river  is  In  the  Coast 
Range,  In  the  centre  of  Mendocino  county,  more  than 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  from  where  it  reaches 
the  Pacific  ocean.  Hundreds  of  streams  pour  down  the 
gulches  and  through  the  forests  to  join  it  on  its  course, 
making  Mendocino  and  Humboldt  counties  through 
which  they  flow  the  best-watered  sections  of  the  State. 
The  course  of  the  Eel  river  Is  directly  northwest,  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  coast,  about  twenty-five  miles  from 
the  ocean,  until  It  empties  Into  the  Pacific  five  miles  south 


1 88 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  Humboldt  bay,  in  Humboldt  county.  From  this 
point  north  for  twenty  miles,  to  the  northern  boundary 
of  Humboldt  county,  there  are  six  rivers,  all  small ;  the 
two  principal  ones.  Elk  and  Jacoly^  empty  into  Hum- 
boldt bay  ;  i  ^T' mboldt  county. 

Mad  Rivek.  Five  miles  north  of  Humboldt  bay,  and 
at  the  northern  boundary  of  Humboldt  county,  is  the 
oudet  of  Mad  river,  which  has  its  source  in  the  southern 
corner  of  Trinity  county,  from  whence,  through  the 
lower  part  of  this  county  and  the  northern  half  of 
Humboldt  county,  it  courses  in  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion, and  on  a  parallel  with  Eel  river  at  a  distance  of 
eighteen  miles  to  the  northeast.  It  is  fed  in  its  course 
of  almost  one  hundred  m'les  by  numbers  of  streams 
shooting  forth  from  the  deep  forests  and  canons  of 
Humboldt  county,  until  it  pours  its  volume  into  the 
Pacific  ocean  five  miles  north  of  Humboldt  bay. 

Little  River. — Eight  miles  north  of  Mad  river,  and 
in  the  southern  part  of  Klamath  county,  is  this  stream, 
running  due  west  from  the  Coast  Range  to  the  Pacific ; 
it  is  about  fifteen  miles  from  its  source  to  its  mouth. 

Redwood  Creek. — Twenty  miles  farther  north,  in 
Kl;  math  county,  is  Redwood  creek,  having  its  source 
in  the  northern  part  of  Humboldt  county,  and  running 
northwest  a  distance  of  forty  miles ;  passing  through 
the  forests  and  canons  of  the  western  side  of  Klamath 
county,  it  empties  into  the  Pacific  ocean  eighteen  miles 
south  of  Klamath  river,  at  a  point  called  Gold  Bluff. 

Klamath  River. — This  river  has  its  source  in  the 
northern  portion  of  California  among  the  Sierras  and 
lakes,  directly  on  the  Oregon  and  California  State  line, 


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RIVERS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


189 


many  of  its  branches  pushing  far  into  the  southern 
part  of  Oregon.  It  crosses  the  Oregon  line  and  enters 
California  in  a  well-defined  stream  in  Siskiyou  county, 
one  hundred  miles  due  east  from  the  northern  State 
line,  on  the  Pacific  ocean.  From  this  point  it  courses 
in  a  rapid  and  dashing  volume  through  the  northern  end 
of  Siskiyou  county,  crosses  the  southern  corner  of  Del 
Norte  county,  down  to  the  lower  part  of  Klamath  county, 
a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles :  in  this 
course  it  has  gathered  great  volume  and  force  from  the 
numerous  tributaries  of  the  dense  forest  and  mountains 
of  this  section  of  country.  Twelve  miles  from  the 
southern  line  cf  Klamath  county,  it  turns  suddenly  from 
its  course  of  southeast  to  northwest,  crosses  again  in 
an  opposite  course  the  northern  line  of  Klamath  county, 
eighteen  miles  from  the  ocean,  enters  the  southern  line 
of  Del  Norte  county,  which  it  follows,  still  in  its  north- 
westerly direction,  for  eighteen  miles,  when  it  empties 
into  the  Pacific.  From  the  ocean,  for  forty  miles,  it  is 
navigable  for  steamers  of  light  draught.  At  this  point 
is  the  mouth  of  the 

Trinity  River. — Having  its  source  in  the  northeast- 
ern corner  of  Trinity  county,  it  winds  its  serpentine 
course  through  its  rocky  and  precipitous  channels 
through  half  the  length  of  that  county,  in  a  south- 
westerly direction ;  then,  suddenly  turning  northwest, 
enters  the  southern  portion  of  Klamath  county,  where 
it  empties  into  the  Klamath  river  forty  miles  from  its 
mouth. 

North  of  Klamath  river,  and  the  only  one  north  of 
that  in  the  State,  is 

Smith  River. — This  river  rises  in  the  northern  part 


190 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  Del  Norte  county,  close  to  the  Oregon  line.  It  is 
joined  in  its  course  by  innumerable  streams  from  both 
sides.  Its  direction  is  due  west  for  twenty  miles  from 
its  source,  when  it  turns  northwest  and  empties  into 
the  Pacific  ocean  close  to  the  northern  State  boundary 
in  latitude  forty-two. 

Pitt  River. — Pitt  river  has  its  source  in  Siskiyou 
county,  in  the  Warren  range  of  mountains,  near  Goose 
lake.  Its  course  is  in  a  southwesterly  direction  through 
Siskiyou  county,  across  the  northwestern  portion  of 
Lassen  county,  into  the  northeastern  corner  of  Shasta 
county,  where  it  merges  into  the  principal  branch  of  the 
Sacramento  river.  Its  length  from  its  source  to  this 
point  is  aboui.  oneliundred  miles ;  'it  passes  tiirough  a 
rugged  and  mountainous  country. 

Scott  and  Shasta  Rivers. — ^These  two  rivers  are  of 
considerable  volume  in  the  spring  time.  They  run  west 
through  the  northwestern  corner  of  Shasta  county,  and 
empty  into  the  Klamath  river.  Their  length  each  is 
about  thirty  miles. 

BAYS  AND  HARBORS. 

From  the  southwest  line  of  the  State  to  its  northern 
boundary,  a  distance  of  eight  hundred  miles,  there  are 
but  three  first-class  harbors — the  Bay  of  San  Francisco 
and  the  harbors  of  San  Diego  and  Humboldt.  Besides 
these  there  are  fifteen  bays  and  harbors,  chiefly  open 
roadsteads  or  inlexs:  none  of  these  are  sufficiently 
secure  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  or  of  sufficient  depth,  to 
afford  protection  or  render  them  attractive  as  places  of 
resort  for  shipping.  Aside  from  these  bays  th^^re  are 
almost  innumerable  rivers  and  indentations  in  the  coast 


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BAYS  AND  HARBORS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


191 


where  small  craft  can  seek  shelter  in  cases  of  emer- 
gency, and  to  and  from  which  an  active  coast-trade  is 
carried  on  by  small  steamers  and  sailing  craft. 

The  bays  and  harbors  of  the  coast  are  here  described, 
commencing  at  San  Diego,  and  following  the  line  of 
the  coast  north  to  the  northern  boundary  of  the  State. 

San  Diego  Harbor. — ^This  is  the  most  southerly  har- 
bor on  the  coast  of  California.  It  is  twelve  miles  north 
of  the  line  between  California  and  Mexico,  in  San  Diego 
county,  and  about  four  hundred  and  forty-six  miles  south 
of  San  Francisco.  A  broad  channel  of  thirty  feet  depth 
of  water  leads  into  this  fine  harbor,  which  is  completely 
landlocked,  with  good  anchorage,  and  a  length  of  twelve 
miles  and  from  two  to  three  miles  in  width.  Large 
steamers  ply  between  San  Francisco  and  this  port,  which 
is  fast  becoming,  of  commercial  importance.  The  town 
of  San  Diego  is  situated  on  the  northern  end  of  the  bay. 
The  next  harbor  northward  is 

San  Pedro  Bay. — This  bay  is  situated  near  thfe  centre 
of  Los  Angeles  county,  on  the  coast,  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles  south  of  San  Francisco.  This  harbor 
is  exposed  to  the  south  winds,  which  render  it  very  unsafe 
in  winter.  The  water  for  two  miles  from  'shore  is  shal- 
low, lighters  having  to  be  used  to  discharge  cargo.  An 
inlet  from  this  bay,  with  Deadman's  island  near  its  mouth, 
forms  the  entrance  to  Wilmington,  a  thriving  town. 
The  town  of  Los  Angeles  is  directly  east  from  this 
point,  about  twenty  miles  inland,  and  is  connected  with 
it  by  a  railroad.  Anaheim  Landing  is  formed  by  an 
inlet  from  this  bay,  which  is  only* an  open  roadstead 
formed  by  a  projecting  cape.  Northward,  for  the  entire 
length  of  Santa  Barbara  county,  there  is  not  a  single 


192 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


bay  of  any  importance,  although  there  are  several  inlets 
suited  to  coasting  vessels. 

San  Louis  Bay. — ^This  bay  is  on  an  open  roadstead, 
in  the  southern  end  of  San  Louis  Obispo  county,  formed 
by  Point  San  Louis,  extending  out  about  five  miles. 
There  is  good  anchorage,  but  the  harbor,  if  it  can  be  so 
called,  is  sheltered  only  from  north  winds.  It  is  about 
two  hundred  miles  south  of  San  Francisco. 

EsTERO  Bay. — Sixteen  miles  north  of  San  Louis  bay 
is  Estero  bay.  The  main  bay  is  an  open  roadstead ;  but 
Moro  Rock,  running  out  for  about  four  miles,  forms  a 
bay  of  three  miles  in  length,  secure  from  all  winds  except 
the  westerly.  It  is  in  about  the  centre  of  the  coast  line 
of  San  Louis  Obispo  county ;  it  affords  good  shelter, 
and  has  sufficient  depth  of  water. 

Carmelo  Bay. — This  little  bay  is  directly  south  of 
Cypress  Point,  the  most  prominent  headland  of  Monte- 
rey county,  and  about  four  miles  south  of  the  town  and 
harbor  of  Monterey.  It  is  about  three  miles  in  length 
and  two  in  width;  has  deep  water,  but  is  exposed  to  the 
south  and  west  winds.  The  ruins  of  the  old  mission  of 
San  Carlos  are  here.  The  bay  possesses  much  natural 
beauty,  but  is  of  little  commercial  importance.  Four 
miles  north  of  this  is 

Monterey  Bay. — It  is  formed  by  an  oblong  indenta- 
tion in  the  coast  in  the  north  end  of  Monterey  county, 
and  the  southern  end  of  Santa  Cruz  county.  It  is  ninety 
miles  south  of  San  Francisco.  The  bay  is  twenty-five 
miles  wide,  and  twelve  miles  in  a  line  from  the  outer 
points  of  Cypress  on  the  south  and  Santa  Cruz  on  the 
north.     At  its  southern  limit  is  the  town    tiid  landing 


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BA  yS  AND  HARBORS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


193 


of  Monterey,  close  to  which,  on  Point  Pinos,  is  a  light 
house.  The  Salinas  river  empties  into  the  centre  of  this 
bay,  at  the  western  extremity  of  which  is  situated  the 
town.  The  towns  of  Santa  Cruz  and  Monterey  are 
twenty-five  miles  apart  across  the  bay,  which  is  open  to 
the  south  and  west,  but  has  a  sufficient  depth  of  water : 
large  steamers  and  sailing  craft  enter  this  bay.  There 
is  a  brisk  trade  between  San  Francisco  and  this  place. 

Bay  of  Santa  Cruz. — It  is  situated  in  the  southern 
end  of  Santa  Cruz  county,  and  the  northern  part  of 
Monterey  bay,  of  which  it  is  almost  a  part.  It  is  but  an 
open  roadstead,  exposed  to  the  south  and  west  winds, 
and  on  that  account  is  not  safe  at  all  times.  The  bay  is 
small,  but  has  very  deep  water;  and  is  of  considerable 
commercial  importance,  in  consequence  of  extensive 
lime  -  kilns,  powder  and  paper  mills,  and  tanneries ; 
besides  being  the  outlet  of  a  rich  agricultural  section  of 
country.  Steamers  and  sailing  vessels  ply  regularly 
between  this  port  and  San  Francisco,  from  which  it  is 
distant  eighty  miles  south.  The  thriving  town  of  Santa 
Cruz  is  situated  at  its  head.  The  next  harbor  north- 
ward is  in  San  Mateo  county. 

Half-moon  Bay. — It  is  a  small  indentation  in  the 
coast,  protected  from  the  north  winds  by  a  projecting 
point,  but  exposed  to  the  south  and  west.  As  a  harbor 
it  is  of  litde  importance.  Small  steamers  and  sailing 
vessels  of  light  draught  run  between  this  point  and  San 
Francisco,  which  is  forty-six  miles  north.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  rich  agricultural  valley  and  rolling  hills. 
Spanish  Town,  a  small  village,  is  inland  about  two  miles 
from  the  bay.  Following  the  coast  line  north  the  next 
harbor  is  the 


■I 


194 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Bay  of  San  Francisco — Which  has  its  outlet  through 
the  Golden  Gate,  and  which,  for  size,  depth,  ease  of 
entrance,  and  security,  is  unsurpassed  in  the  world,  ex- 
cepting by  Puget  sound  in  Washington  Territory.  The 
Goldfen  Gate,  or  entrance  to  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  situated  in  latitude  37°  48'  north,  and  longitude 
122°  30'  west  from  Greenwich.  The  discovery  of  this 
bay  will  be  found  treated  of  in  another  chapter.  The 
entrance  to  the  bay  is  through  a  passage  running  due 
east  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  in  length,  and  is  about 
two  miles  wide;  this  passage  and  the  bay  inside  are  of 
great  depth  and  of  easy  access,  there  being  thirty  feet 
of  Water  at  low  tide.  On  die  northern  side  of  the  en- 
trance rise  almost  perpendicular,  dark,  and  frowning 
rocks,  to  a  height  of  three  thousand  feet,  where,  at  Point 
Bonita,  is  a  light-hotise.  On  the  southern  side,  at  the 
entrance,  is  built,  in  the  solid  rock,  at  Fort  Point,  a 
strong  fortification,  completely  guarding  the  entrance. 
From  this  point  to  San  Francisco  is  a  range  of  rolling 
and  grassy  hills,  a  great  part  of  the  small  valleys  being 
covered  with  mountains  of  white  and  drifting  sands. 

Six  miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  Golden  Gate  is 
the  city  of  San  Francisco.  Here  the  bay  turns  south- 
ward in  the  direction  of  San  Jose  for  thirty  miles,  form- 
ing a  peninsula  between  it  and  the  Pacific  ocean,  upon 
which  is  the  city  and  county  of  San  Francisco.  The 
bay  at  its  widest  point  between  San  Francisco  and  San 
Jose  is  twelve  miles ;  at  Oakland,  directly  east  of  San 
Francisco  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  it  is  eight 
miles  in  width.  Coursing  west  from  San  Francisco  the 
bay  extends  north  until  it  meets  San  Pablo  bay,  form- 
ing a  continuous  sheet  of  water  west  of  San  Francisco 
of  thirty  miles  in  length  and  twelve  miles  at  its  widest 


^^n 


£AyS  AND  HARBORS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


195 


point ;  thus  making  this  landlocked  ocean  sixty  miles 
running  north  and  south  and  about  nine  miles  in  width. 

At  the  northeastern  portion  of  San  Francisco  bay  are 
Mare  straits.  Here  is  situated  the  town  of  Vallejo,  on 
the  west  side  of  Solano  county.  Directly  opposite 
Vallejo  is  the  United  States  navy-yard  on  Mare  island. 
At  these  places  there  are  deep  water  and  safe  anchorage. 
Passing  through  the  Straits  of  Cai-quines,  a  narrow  pas- 
sage of  eight  miles,  in  an  easterly  direction,  is  met  Siiisim 
bay,  extending  ten  miles  in  length.  Here  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Joaquin  rivers  empty  their  great  volumes 
received  from  the  vast  interior  of  the  State  through  a 
thousand  tributary  streams,  all  finding  their  way  through 
the  Golden  Gate. 

On  the  north  of  San  Pablo  bay,  and  east  from  San 
Francisco  thirty  miles,  are  the  counties  of  Napa  and 
Sonoma;  and  on  the  west  side  the  county  of  Marin, 
being  the  northern  peninsula  which,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  forms  its  northern  rock- 
bound  wall ;  in  this  county,  on  the  bay,  twelve  miles 
from  San  Francisco,  is  the  State  prison  at  San  '  'r.entin. 

There  are  several  islands  in  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. Alcatraz  island,  six  miles  from  the  entrance — 
the  Golden  Gate — is  in  the  centre  of  the  channel :  a 
solid  rock  of  sixteen  hundred  feet  in  length  and  four 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  width,  and  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  a 
strong  fortress,  bristling  with  heavy  artillery  from 
granite  walls  ;  and,  in  conjunction  v/ith  the  heavy  arma- 
ment at  Fort  Point,  and  Black  Point  between  Fort 
Point  and  San  Francisco,  is  a  complete  harbor-defence. 

Angel  island,  close  to  Marin  county,  directly  north 
of  Alcatraz  and  four  miles  from  San  Francisco,  contains 


196 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


about  eight  hundred  acres,  chiefly  good  land ;  strong 
fortifications  have  been  built  here  recently. 

Directly  in  the  line  between  San  Francisco  and  Oak- 
land, midway  in  the  bay,  is  Verba  Buena,  or  Goat  island. 
It  is  less  in  size  than  Angel  island,  and  is  held  by  the 
United  States  as  a  military  station,  although  no  troops 
have  ever  been  stationed  there.  A  bridge  of  consider- 
able length  extends  from  Oakland  toward  this  island, 
this  bridge  being  the  terminus  of  the  overland  railroad. 

Four  miles  north   of  Angel    island   is   Red  Ro  ''. 
Further  north,  in  San  Francisco  bay,  is  Bird  Rock 
the  Two  Sisters.     There  are  other  small  islands  and 
rocks  in  the  bay,  but  not  of  sufficient  importance  to 
merttion. 

About  a  mile  south  of  the  Golden  Gate  is  Seal  Rocky 
a  clump  of  jagged  rocks  standing  high  above  the  sea, 
worn  and  scarred  by  the  incessant  dashing  of  the  waves, 
which  in  stormy  weather  break  over  them  with  terrible 
fury ;  the  roar  of  the  waters  can  often  be  heard  at  San 
Fi'ancisco,  a  distance  of  eight  miles.  These  rocks  in 
calm  weather  are  a  source  of  great  interest  owing  to 
the  immense  seals,  frequently  called  sea-lions,  which 
continually  crawl  up  their  rugged  sides  and  bask  upon 
them,  keeping  up  a  constant  howl,  much  to  the  amuse- 
ment and  wonderment  of  the  visitors  at  the  Cliff  House, 
who,  upon  the  balcony,  level  their  glasses  upon  them. 
Some  of  these  animals  are  as  large  as  an  ox.  They 
are  protected  by  law  from  the  sportsman's  slaughter. 

The  name  Golden  Gate  is  applied  to  the  entrance  of 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  Many  attempts  have  been 
made  to  ascertain  the  origin  of  this  name  and  its  appli- 
cation to  this  passage,  but  all  without  satisfactory 
results,  few  writers  going  beyond  the  year  1847,  when 


5.  « 
2.  " 

a  (T) 


U 

3 


§ 


\ 


the  r 

for7i\ 

the  c 

In 

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lived 

word: 

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Cisco, 

''The. 

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attend 

immor 

lowest 

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port  in  t 

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BAYS  AND  HAHBO'-'S  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


197 


the  name  appears  in  the  ^'Geographical  Memoir  of  Cali- 
for7iia','  written  by  John  C.  Fremont,  who  had  explored 
the  country. 

In  *' The  Book  0/ Constant  Purity**  ascribed  to  Lau- 
ki-un,  a  Chinese  philosopher,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
lived  more  than  fourteen  centuries  before  Christ,  the 
words  gciden  gate  are  first  found  in  the  records  of  the 
human  family,  and  indeed  nowhere  else,  except  in 
modern  writings  pertaining  to  the  harbor  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  the  name  found.  A  Chinese  sage,  speaking  of 
"The  Book  of  Constant  Purity"  says :  "  Scholars  of  the 
first  rank,  if  they  understand  it,  will  be  raised  to  become 
heavenly  rulers.  Those  of  the  second  rank,  if  they 
attend  to  its  instructions,  will  be  placed  among  uie 
immortal  sages  of  the  southern  palace.  Those  of  the 
lowest  class,  if  they  obiain  this  book,  will  enjoy  long 
life  on  earth,  roam  at  will  through  the  three  worlds, 
and  enter  the  Golden  Gate."  Whether  or  no  this 
prophetic  allusion  applies  to  the  hundred  thousand,  of 
the  "  lower  class,"  o;  Chinese  who  have,  since  the  dis- 
covery of  the  precious  metals  in  California,  entered  the 
Golden  Gate  is  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  reader. 

The  great  temple  of  Solom(  n,  which  was  begun 
1012  B.  C,  was  ornameniecl  with  the  precious  metals, 
and  this  with  other  edifices  and  palaces  erected  by  this 
proud  king  are  said  to  have  had  "  gates  of  gold." 

Whatever  the  origin  of  the  name,  Golden  Gate,  as 
applied  to  the  entrance  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
although  applied  long  before  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California,  is  certainly  most  appropriate,  for  through 
this  gate  has  passed  more  gold  than  through  any  other 
port  in  the  world. 

The  early  navigator  or  explorer,  after  the  perils  of  a 


198 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


tedious  sea-voyage  or  the  trials  of  the  arid  plains  and 
the  frosts  of  the  stern  Sierras,  when  first  beholding  the 
beautiful  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  burnished  like  molten 
gold  with  the  bright  sun  of  a  California  sky,  might  well 
exclaim,  Chrysorrhoas !  (Golden  Stream,)  the  name  ap- 
plied to  a  beautiful  river  in  Syria  near  Damascus; 
or  the  name  might  have  been  suggested  to  some  navi- 
gator by  Chrysoceras,  (Horn  of  Gold,)  a  name  applied 
to  the  harbor  of  Byzantium. 

BoLiNAS  Bay. — Ten  miles  north  of  the  Bay  of  San 

Francisco  is  Bolinas  bay,  formed  by  a  projecting  point 

of  rocks,  on  the  west  side  of  Marin  county.     It  is  shel- 

•  tered  only  from  the  north  and  west,  and  is  of  little 

importance  except  for  small  coast-traders. 

Drake's  Bay. — This  famous  historic  bay  is  the  place 
visited  by  Sir  Francis  Drake  in  1579,  and  which  some 
supposed  was  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  It  is  directly 
south  of  the  long  projecting  Point  Reyes,  in  Marin 
county,  and  thirty  miles  north  of  the  Golden  Gate;  is  of 
considerable  size,  and  well  sheltered  from  the  west  and 
north,  but  is  of  little  value  as  a  commercial  port. 

ToMALES  Bay. — Eighteen  miles  north  of  Drake's 
bay,  and  fc-ty-eight  miles  north  of  the  Golden  Gate,  in 
Marin  county,  near  the  northern  end  of  the  county,  is 
thirj  bay.  It  is  less  than  a  mile  in  width,  having  eleven 
feet  of  water  at  low  tide;  it  is  fifteen  miles  in  length, 
heading  southeast  and  parallel  with  the  Coast  Range. 
It  is  sheltered  from  all  winds  and  perfectly  landlocked. 
The  surrounding  country  is  a  rich  agricultural  and 
grazing  district,  and  a  lively  coast-trade  is  carried  on 
between  this  point  and  San  Francisco 


BAYS  AND  HARBORS  IN  CALIfORNiA. 


199 


BoDEGO  Bay. — Six  miles  directly  north  of  Tomales 
bay,  and  where  the  southern  corner  of  Sonoma  county 
reaches  the  Pacific  ocean,  is  this  little  bay,  formed  by  a 
projecting  point.  It  is  well  sheltered  from  the  north 
and  west,  but  is  open  to  the  southwest.  It  is  only 
about  two  miles  in  length  and  one  and  a-half  in  width, 
with  nine  f^et  of  water  at  low  tide.  A  small  Russian 
settlement  was  established  here  in  181 2,  which  was  not 
abandoned  until  1 841 .  An  active  coasting  and  produce 
trade  is  carried  on  from  this  port  to  San  Francisco. 
From  this  point  north  and  along  the  coast  for  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  miles  there  is  not  a  single  harbor  or 
safe  entrance  for  a  vessel  of  large  size.  This  space 
embraces  the  northern  half  of  Sonoma  county,  all  of 
Mendocino  and  the  greater  \  A  Humboldt  county. 
In  this  space  there  are  numerous  iivcrs  and  small  inlets, 
to  and  from  which  an  active  lumber  and  produce  tra  le 
is  carried  on  with  San  Francisco. 


Iin 
is 


on 


Humboldt  Bay. — North  of  the  Golden  Gat"  two 
hundred  and  twenty-three  miles,  and  in  the  northern 
part  of  Humboldt  county,  is  Humboldt  bay,  enterincr 
the  coast  where  the  dense  forests  of  firs  and  pines  i,n-  v' 
to  the  water's  edge.  The  passage  in  is  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  wide  and  about  half  a  mile  long,  having 
eighteen  feet  of  water  at  low  tide;  inside,  the  bay  swells 
north  and  south  for  six  miles  in  each  direction,  leaving 
a  narrow  peninsula  between  it  and  the  ocean.  The 
bay  inside  is  twelve  miles  from  north  to  south,  and 
about  four  in  width ;  it  is  completely  landlocked,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  secure  harbors  in  the  State.  Steamers 
and  ships  of  all  classes  enter  this  bay,  many  of  the  lat- 
ter loading  lumber  and  spars  for  foreign  and  domestic 


ti 


^ 


200 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


ports.  The  town  of  Eureka  is  situated  on  the  inside 
of  the  bay.  On  the  northern  side  of  the  entrance  there 
is  a  good  light-house ;  there  are  also  substantial  tug- 
boats on  the  bay.  This  harbor  wa**  not  discovered 
until  1850. 

Trinidad  Bay. — ^Twenty  miles  north  of  Humboldt, 
and  in  the  southern  end  of  Klamath  county,  is  Trinidad 
bay.  It  is  an  open  roadstead,  formed  by  a  projecting 
cape  toward  the  west ;  it  is  exposed  to  the  south  and 
west  winds,  and  on  that  account  is  not  a  safe  harbor. 
It  is  small,  but  has  good  anchorage  and  plenty  of  water. 
The  town  of  Trinidad  is  located  at  its  head,  is  in  the 
midst  of  a  timbered  district,  and  an  active  trade  is  car- 
ried on  in  timber  from  this  port.  It  is  two  hundred  and 
forty-three  miles  north  from  San  Francisco. 

Crescent  City  Harbor. — This  is  the  farthest  harbor 
north  upon  the  coast  of  California,  forty-seven  miles 
north  of  Trinidad  and  two  hundred  and  ninety  north 
of  San  Francisco.  It  is  an  open  roadstead,  formed  by 
the  projecting  Cape  of  St.  George,  extending  westward 
about  a  mile.  It  is  in  about  the  centre  of  Del  Norte 
county,  and  seventeen  miles  south  of  the  northern  State 
line.  One  mile  from  shore  the  depth  of  water  is  only 
twelve  feet;  vessels  of  any  considerable  size  must  dis* 
charge  by  lighters,  but  for  vessels  of  light  draught 
there  is  good  wharf  accommodati(  >n,  and  a  considerable 
coast-trade  is  carried  on  between  this  point  and  San 
Francisco  by  steamer  and  sailing  craft.  Immense  quan- 
tities of  fir,  pine,  and  redwood  lumber  leave  this  port. 
It  is  also  the  most  northern  point  of  egress  and  ingress 
to  and  from  the  mines  ir;  this  section  of  the  State  and 


£AYS  AND  HARBORS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


2CZ 


in  southern  Oregon.     Crescent  Cit^  is  located  upon  its 
nortliern  beach. 


Pelican  Bay. — A  sort  of  bend  in  the  coast  forms  this 
bay ;  it  is  directly  north  of  Crescent  City,  in  the  forty- 
second  parallel  of  north  latitude,  the  boundary  between 
California  and  Oregon  passing  directly  through  its 
centre.  A  lagjon,  six  miles  in  length,  and  Smith  river 
empty  into  it  in  the  northern  corner  of  Del  Norte 
county.  The  Coquette  river  in  Oregon,  just  north  of 
the  State  line,  also  empties  into  this  bay,  which  is  an 
open  roadstead,  and  not  sheltered  except  by  the  coast 
on  the  east:  it  has  no  advantages  as  a  harbor. 


202 


THE  GOLDEN  STATS, 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Islands  oif  the  coast  —  Farallones  —  Islands  in  bays  and  rivers- 
First  mint  in  California — Indian  tribes — Shell  money — Springs — 
Petroleum — Mud  springs — Calistoga  springs — Sulphur  springs — 
Soda  springs — ^Tar  springs — ^Asphaltum — Geysers. 

ISLANDS. 

The  islands  of  the  coast  line  of  California  are  few, 
considering  the  great  distance  from  San  Diego  to  Hum- 
boldt. In  the  entire  lengfth  of  the  State  there  are  but 
seven  islands  of  any  importance,  and  these  are  at  its 
southern  end,  the  farthest  north  being  off  the  county  of 
Santa  Barbara  in  latitude  thirty-four  degrees,  and  all 
within  a  coast  line  of  seventy  miles,  leaving  eight  de- 
grees of  latitude,  or  more  than  five  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  of  coast,  from  Santa  Barbara  to  the  Oregon  line^ 
without  a  single  island  except  the  Farallones,  a  clump 
of  rugged  rocks  off  the  Golden  Gate. 

Besides  the  islands  off  the  coast  there  are  several 
inside  the  Golden  Gate;  these  are  described  in  the 
chapter  treating  upon  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco. 

The  islands  of  the  coa^t  will  here  be  described  in 
their  order,  commencing  with  the  most  southerly  and 
continuing  northward. 

San  Clement  Island. — This  is  the  most  southerly 
island  of  the  coast.  It  is  directly  in  the  thirty-third 
degree  of  north  latitude,  and  is  forty-three  miles  distant 
from  the  coast  of  Los  Angeles  county;  is  twenty  miles 
in  length  and  five  in  vldth.  There  is  but  litde  good 
agricultural  or  grazing  land  upon  this  island ;  its  general 


/■//" 


THE   SOUTH    FARALLONE   ISLAND,  PROM   THE   BIG   ROOKERY,  LOOKING  SOUTH. 
(Six  barren  rock  islands.     Twenty-five  miles  due  west  of  the  Golden  Gate  in  the  Pacific  Ocean. 


SEA   LIONS   AND   THEIR    YOUNG,    VICINITY   OF   THE    GOLDEN    GATE,   CALIFORNIA 
(These  Sea  Liuns  weigh  from  2,000  to  5,000  pounds  each.) 


chan 
are  o 

Sa 

midw 

Los  1 

about 

in  ler 

good 

has  be 

of  the 

above 

and  C 

island. 

of  the 

to  the 

Franci: 

Nori 

Barbar 

coast  is 

Sant 
miles  s( 
a-half  r 
about  fi 
and  is 
birds, 
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San  r 
northwe 
the  mail 
miles  in 
of  its  su: 


ISLANDS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


203 


character  Is  barren  and  rocky ;  and  some  of  the  peaks 
are  over  one  hundred  feet  in  height. 

Santa  Catalina  Island. — This  island  lies  directly 
midway  between  San  Clement  island  and  the  county  of 
Los  Angeles,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  coast,  and  is 
about  the  same  size  as  San  Clement;  it  is  twenty  miles 
in  length  and  five  in  widtli.  There  is  considerable 
good  land  and  some  cultivation  on  the  island,  which 
has  been  a  grazing  field  for  thousands  of  sheep.  Some 
of  the  mountains  on  this  island  rise  three  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea.  There  are  two  good  harbors.  Union 
and  Catalina ;  and  an  abundance  of  good  water  on  the 
island.  Both  this  and  San  Clement  island  were,  by  act 
of  the  California  Legislature  of  April  25,  1851,  attached 
to  the  county  of  Los  Angeles :  they  are  south  of  San 
Francisco  about  four  hundred  miles. 

North  of  these  islands  and  off  the  coast  of  Santa 
Barbara  county  are  the  five  other  islands  forming  the 
coast  islands :  the  most  southerly  of  these  is 

Santa  Barbara  Island. — This  island  v:.  thirty-six 
miles  south  of  Santa  Barbara  county,  is  about  two  and 
a-half  miles  in  length,  about  two  miles  in  width,  and 
about  five  hundred  feet  in  height,  rocky  and  irregular, 
and  is  the  abode  of  innumerable  sea-lions  and  wild 
birds.  It  is  thirty-six  miles  from  the  mainland.  There 
is  but  little  good  land  on  it. 

San  Nicolas  Island. — ^This  Island  Is  twenty-six  miles 
northwest  of  Santa  Barbara  island  and  sixty  miles  from 
the  mainland  of  Santa  Barbara  county;  it  is  twelve 
miles  in  length  and  five  miles  wide.  A  great  portion 
of  its  surface  is  rocky,  but  there  are  some  valleys,  and 


204 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


large  numbers  of  sheep  pasture  among  them.  Its 
greatest  surface  is  about  six  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea.  It  is  about  three  hundred  and  forty  miles  from 
San  Francisco. 

Santa  Cruz  Island. — Inside  of  San  Nicolas,  almost 
in  a  direct  line  east  forty-two  miles,  twenty-five  miles 
from  the  mainland  and  directly  opposite  the  town  of 
Santa  Barbara  in  Santa  Barbara  county,  is  the  island  of 
Santa  Cruz;  it  is  twenty-four  miles  in  length  and  seven 
miles  in  width.  Its  surface  is  rugged,  but  it  has  a  great 
portion  of  good  pasturage,  upon  which  more  than  thirty 
thousand  sheep  graze.  Wild  hogs  and  goats  abound 
in  the  mountains;  so  numerous  are  the  former  that 
they  destroy  the  sheep  by  devouring  the  young  lambs, 
and  although  efforts  have  been  made  to  exterminate 
these  hogs,  it  has  been  impossible,  as  they  secure  them- 
selves in  the  dense  jungles  in  the  hills.  These  hogs 
first  came  from  the  Sandwich  islands:  they  never  grow 
large,  and  are  somewhat  like  the  North  Carolina  pine- 
woods  hogs ;  are  long  legged  and  long  bristled,  have 
great  heads  and  tusks,  run  like  race-horses,  and  gen- 
erally die  if  fed  upon  corn  and  potatoes.  There  is  now 
a  war  of  extermination  waging  between  the  sheep  and 
hogs :  the  sheep  by  destroying  the  grass,  and  the  hogs 
by  rooting  up  the  pasturage  and  devouring  the  lambs : 
the  hogs  have  the  sheep  at  a  great  disadvantage. 
There  is  good  water  on  the  island,  and  a  safe  harbor 
on  the  land  side.  It  is  two  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
south  of  San  Francisco. 

Santa  Rosa  Island. — Five  miles  directly  west  of 
Santa  Cruz  island,  and  thirty  miles  from  the  mainland 
of  Santa  Barbara  county,  is  Santa  Rosa  island,  sixteen 


ISLANDS  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


205 


miles  in  length,  and  twelve  in  width  at  its  widest  point. 
The  sides  of  this  island  are  about  two  hundred  feet  in 
height,  with  but  few  safe  places  for  landing.  The 
surface  above  this  is  almost  level  and  produces  abun 
dant  grass,  upon  which  thousands  of  sheep  pasture.  A 
few  Mexican  families  reside  on  the  island. 

The  first  mint  in  California  was  established  on  this 
island,  how  long  ago  is  uncertain — perhaps  centuries 
before  Julius  Caesar  invaded  Britain.  From  it  was 
issued  the  panga  or  shell  money  of  the  Indians,  which 
supplied  the  toast  and  interior  tribes  as  far  east  as  the 
Tulare  and  Owens  lakes  with  the  current  funds  of  the 
aborigines.  Once  a  year  bands  of  Indians  from  the 
interior  would  vis^t  the  sea-coast  at  Santa  Barbara 
county  and  the  island  of  Santa  Rosa,  to  trade  with  the 
island  or  coast  tribes.  Those  of  the  interior  brought 
panoche,  (a  thick  sugar  made  from  honey-dew  and  a 
species  of  wild  cane,)  nut  pipes,  and  wild  tobacco.  This 
money  was  made  from  mussel  shells  found  on  the  coast 
and  the  adjacent  islands ;  the  pieces  had  holes  in  them, 
and  were  strung  on  fibres  of  wild  hemp  ;  eight  strings 
were  of  the  value  of  a  silver  dollar ;  and  as  this  money 
brought  the  tribes  into  commercial  intercourse,  the 
priests  encouraged  it.  As  late  as  the  year  1833,  the 
Indians  preferred  this  money  to  gold  or  silver.  Not  a 
trace  of  these  once  powerful  coast-tribes,  their  canoes, 
or  money  remains  at  this  date.  Santa  Rosa  is  two 
hundred  and  seventy-three  miles  south  of  San  Fran- 
cisco. 


San  Miguel  Island. — Six  miles  west  of  Santa  Rosa 
island,  twenty-eight  miles  from  the  coast  of  Santa  Bar- 
bara county,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty-five  miles  south 


206 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  Sar  Francisco,  is  the  island  of  San  Miguel ;  it  is  nine 
miles  in  length  and  four  in  width ;  is  generally  rocky, 
but  a  large  number  of  sheep  pasture  upon  it ;  there  is 
a  harbor  on  the  east  side.  The  thirty-fourth  parallel 
of  north  latitude  runs  directly  through  the  three  islands 
of  Santa  Cruz,  Santa  Rosa,  and  San  Miguel. 

By  act  of  the  California  Legislature,  of  April  25,  1851, 
the  five  islands,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Nicolas,  Santa  Cruz, 
Santa  Rosa,  and  San  Miguel,  were  attached  to  the  county 
of  Santa  Barbara.  Most  of  these  islands  are  visited 
by  steamers  from  San  Francisco.  Following  the  coast 
northward  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  to  the 
Oregon  State  line,  not  an  island  is  met  with  in  the 
whole  course  except  the  clump  of  rocks  off  the  Golden 
Gate  known  as  the  Farallones. 

Farallones  Group. — Twenty-five  miles  due  west 
from  the  Golden  Gate  is  this  group  of  six  small  islands, 
of  rugged  and  barren  rock,  without  soil,  grass,  or  herb. 
The  most  southerly  of  the  group  contains  about  two 
acres,  and  is  the  largest  of  them  all ;  a  spring  of  good 
water  issues  from  the  rocks,  and  a  light-house  is  erected 
upon  the  principal  island.  This  clump  of  barren  rocks 
is  in  the  possession  of  countless  numbers  of  sea-lions 
and  wild  birds,  the  eggs  of  the  latter  having  been  for 
many  years  a  source  of  considerable  revenue  to  the 
companies  engaged  in  gathering  them. 

By  act  of  the  Legislature  of  California,  of  the  19th  of 
April,  1856,  the  Farallones,  Alcatraz,  and  Yerba  Buena 
or  Goat  island  were  attached  to  the  city  and  county  of 
San  Francisco.  For  description  of  these  last-mentioned 
islands  see  Bay  of  San  Francisco. 


arc 

ma 

due 

thei 

cata 

sing 

imp] 

men 

but  1 

of  a 

canic 

hot,  a 

Frc 

steam 

hundr 

river, 

of  wat 

great 

forked 

quench 

of  thes( 

present 

fire.     S 

'*egion. 

Iri  Sa 

east  of  t 

the  Colo 

^"^7.^-.  iti 

Five  mil 

ofboilinc 


^or.  a,.^^^,,,  ,^^  ^^^^^  ^^^^^^^ 


ducmg  gold  and  silver-hlr  '^'  ""^^^^^  ''"  P™" 

the,r  pinnacles-her  stre-m!-  ™°""'=''"^  ■'"  elevating 
•ataracts  thousands  ofZl  L^^^'l^ '^^"  ^^^'^^4 
.^-nging  c^,^,        ;   °    feet  beW-her  myriads  of 

■mprisonmentstofoinfhehur™^       ""  "'''■■■  """"'^'n 

"ento  and  San  Joaqu  „  to  thT^^  ^""'^  °^'^^  Sacra- 

but  the  bowels  of  the  elrtT  .     r     '""^  °^  *^  P^-'fic- 

of  a  prolonged  emetic,  bel^h  frorr^  ''*■'""  '^"^  '^^"^ 

came  jets  of  mud   stJam  ?  1  u      ''  ^"^"^  ■"°""'  vol- 

hot,  and  cold  watt  '      '^'""■'  ^"^  '"■««'■.  mineral, 

-IrandVmX\::  etr^-'^^^^  ^^M  Jets  of 
hundred  miles  north  of  !w  ^"^''  "^^^^^     F°"r 

"ver,  in  Humboldfco  "^^  ^ '^um'  ""  ''^  ^^««'^ 
of  water  but  of  £^s-  someofTh  "7'=™«-'  ^Prings,  not 
great  force,  and,  whenT^nhed  .,  "' '"°''* '"  ^^'^  °^ 
forked  tongues  from  the  !a«h  ^'u""''  '^''^^  "^eir 
quenched.     From  the  head  'f  '  "'"^"'^  ^'^ 

of  these  jets  sends  fortht  vollVT?  °'  ^'"'^  ""- 
presents  the  sin<.ubr  IV  '  *'"'^'''  "'hen  ignited 

fi-.     Small  s;rrn  '  of  P't™?""  °'  "'^  "^^^  "'^W  on 
region.  ^     ^   "'  Petroleum  are  also  found  in  this 

In  San  Diego  counhr   „„      • 
east  of  the  town  of  San  DieloV'n  IT'^'  ^'^^"y  ""'^^     ' 
the  Colorado  river,  .s  the  bed  of     f '^  ""^^  --'  f^m 
■^'^e :  it  is  about  si^  feet  hi     1  'f  "=  °'"  ~"=iderable 
Rve  miles  south  of  S  -'t  f ,  T'  °'  *^  °«^n- 

of  boiling  mud.  tossing   ndshal^ll '''  '"  '  ^^"'^™" 

S  and  shakmg  ,ts  angry  sides  and 


208 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


surface,  and  emitting  volumes  of  steam  and  sulphurous 
vapors,  throwing  with  loud  reports  jets  of  mud  high  in 
the  air.  For  many  miles  around  this  cauldron  are  hot 
springs  and  deposits  of  sulphur;  a  trembling  motion 
is  felt  under  foot  for  a  great  distance,  and  at  times  a 
rumbling,  subterraneous  noise .  is  heard  in  the  vicinity. 
There  are  also  sulphur  springs  near  this  locality. 

In  Alameda  county,  thirty-three  miles  in  a  direct  line 
southeast  from  San  Francisco,  are  warm  and  mineral 
springs  possessing  great  medicinal  qualities.  They  are 
the  resort  of  pleasure-seekers  and  invalids  during  the 
summer  season ;  the  climate  is  genial  and  salubrious. 

Calistoga  Springs. — The  springs  at  Calistoga,  in 
Napa  county,  are  seventy-six  miles  north  from  San 
Francisco.  They  are  situated  in  a  beautiful  and  fertile 
valley  dotted  with  live  oaks,  and  surrounded  by  rolling 
hills  and  mountains  partly  covered  with  trees.  The 
view  is  very  picturesque,  and  good  hotel  accommoda- 
tions make  it  a  fashionable  place  of  resort  during  the 
summer  months. 

The  springs,  which  boil  from  a  low,  boggy  spot  in  the 
valley,  form  quite  a  group.  Some  of  them  are  walled 
with  boards  and  arranged  for  bathing ;  some  of  them 
are  also  very  hot,  so  much  so  that  at  a  little  depth  eggs 
can  be  boiled  in  a  few  minutes.  Although  these  springs 
are  twenty-five  miles  distant  from  the  Geysers,  in  So- 
noma county,  they  are  supposed  to  be  connected  with 
them  by  some  subterr-^.nean  passage.  Experiments 
made  by  boring  to  a  depth  of  sixty  feet  proved  the 
water  to  be  so  hot  that  no  test  of  its  actual  heat  could 
be  made. 

White   Sulphur    Springs.  —  A   group   of   springs 


»0T,  MINERAL,    ^ND   OT^^n 

'  "^^   OTHER  SPRINGS. 


called  the  WliiV«  c  i  l  ^ 

^^^^  seve„te:fSr„Sf  'n^  'A^^P--"'y. 
-«er  issues  from  che  rocks  in  a  „?'  '^^  ^"'P''"' 
mountains,  tlirough  which  a  crvTM  ""  ^°'S'' '"  '^e 

of  oaks,  alder,  and  wi t  wWcT  fr""  'T"''"'  f""^^'' 
the  stream.  Rich  folia™  shade  t/^^  *^  "'^■■^'"  °^ 
the  mountains.  ^       ^"  *^  «P""gs  and  crowns 

-ed  here  for  the  accrmSiororS.  ^^^  ■"""- 

five' ;ifZr;^°-;'-ast  s,^e  of  Napa  valley,  and 
famous  Soda  springs     ThTv       V^^^'  "^  ^'^^^^  the 
a  mountain,  about  one  lous^"!,'^'''''  °"  *^  ='<'-<"• 
of  the  sea.     These  sprint  wh/'"  ''°^^  *«  '^vel 
occupy  about  thirty-five  ?„!  1  f^"^*^  "'™erous, 
springs  a  very  superior  ar  fcl     f      J     ^"""^  "'^^^ 
'^hich  l«s  become  a    taorK  ""^'  '''  "•''^'"^d, 

State:  during  the  summt'^  „':::T  "i""^'""'  *- 

dozen  bottles  per  month  are  soTdT^"     "'  *''°"^='"^' 
to  the  taste,  and  by  manvTcon.V,      !  *^'"'  '^  P'^^^-'nt 
meciicinal   qualities:  ft  con  aTn,   K       .''^  P°=^^'^  g'-^at 
carbonate  of  magnesia  carh      '  '"'^f ''°"««  of  soda, 
sodium,  subcarboLTe  of  ron  Tk  °'  ''''"^'  "^'"""^e  of 
acid,  and  alumina.  '  '"'P''''"'"  "^  »°da,  siliceous 

tiJ^^'^^f'T  ^"^  P^'-o'eum  are  found  -n 

tions  of  the  State      A,nl„i/  '"  '•^"'^''al  por- 

stance-and  petroLm  ssu  T""'.""'*'  "^'^  «"b. 
earth.  Seven' miles  wesfof  L^f  r^'"^  °'  *« 
twenty  acres  are  covered  with  it?     r^'"''''  """•«  than 


2IO 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


In  ia  deep  canon,  twenty  miles  east  of  Los  Angeles, 
asphaltum  issues  from  a  mountain  side,  depositing  large 
quantities  in  the  gorge  below.  On  the  coast  of  Santa 
Barbara  county,  near  Mount  Hoar,  asphaltum  forms  a 
thick  coat  upon  the  sea-shore,  and  in  places  runs  far 
into  the  sea,  following  the  beach  from  the  slate  rock 
from  which  it  oozes.  From  these  deposits  as  well  as 
from  those  in  Los  Angeles  county  large  quantities  of 
asphaltum  are  shipped  to  San  Francisco,  where  it  is 
extensively  used  for  roofing  purposes;  and,  when  mixed 
with  gravel  and  sand,  it  forms  the  elegant  sidewalks  of 
San  Francisco. 


Tar  Springs. — Six  miles  west  of  Buena  Vista  lake, 
in  the  western  part  of  Kern  county  and  near  the  eastern 
line  of  Santa  Barbara  county,  is  a  boiling  spring  of  thick 
tar,  and  another  of  petroleum — the  former  covering 
about  an  acre.  From  the  centre  of  this  spring  or  lake 
constant  jets  of  steam  and  gas  escape ;  as  the  fluid 
around  the  edges  of  the  spring  cools,  it  forms  a  solid 
asphaltum :  birds,  beasts,  and  reptiles,  unconscious  of 
danger,  often  rest  upon  this  liquid  matter  around  the 
edges,  only  to  find  themselves  imbedded  in  the  con- 
gealed and  gluey  mass  in  the  embrace  of  death :  their 
bones  are  found  in  great  quantities  in  this  congealed 
matter. 

In  the  southern  and  eastern  portion  of  Kern  county 
large  tracts  of  alkali  desert  and  salt  marsh  is  found, 
with  salt  and  hot  springs.  In  the  eastern  part  of  this 
county,  in  a  small  valley,  surrounded  by  high  mountains, 
is  a  small  salt  lake,  the  water  of  which  is  very  pure  and 
very  salt.  The  great  evaporation  caused  by  the  rays 
of  the  sun  pouring  down  in  this  little  valley  produces 


ous, 

two 

feet 

sides 

heij 

stean 
hiiJs 

tibove 

the  sc 

^here 

and  of 

hotel 

summe 

Would 


CMv^^^s  oj.  CLrromrA. 


great  quantities  of  the  be,.  „     i-  *" 

fuppiyfor  this  sect!:,„''o  'r„t°^-!'-    A''Ae.aIt 
^^^^-    Salt  and   sulphur  are  a,7  '\°'''^'"«d  in  this 

Pomts  along  the  coas?  in  thelwi      °''^''"^''  «  ™«"y 
^nd  .n  Alameda  county  a  ™he  TT  °^ *«  ^tate; 
^'=■^0..  large  quantities  of  sTa,^      ''?  '^°™  S^"  Fmn- 
floodmg  the  marsh  land   w  1  ,^  P"^"'^^''  ^"""ally,  by 
.---ming  it  m,  until,  under  ?« 1    "?,''  °'  *^  "^-/-"d 
>t  >3  absorbed,  Ieavi;g  its  cSrr    "  '"^^  °^  *^^"". 

^«-'''cH.eyareU-tl7:;„a;tt:;t^^- 

f-rt-°r;i:t:^^::r 

Rosa,  ,„  the  northeast  corner  oflo  "°^*  °^  «-"'- 
°f  the  greatest  natural  curWtt  "f"^  """"^y'-'^  one 
f  e  world.  In  a  deep  cafion  t^ '"  */ f'^'^-  '^  "o.  i„ 
abrupt  peaks  of  the  Coa  °t  R  "''^''  ^^  ^^^^  and 

-ysterious  laboratory  of  „Itu,eT'  "  "'  '"^^'^  ^^  '"e 
and  hot  springs.    'n.^.^Z^^T  ''  *^  '^O'^-^ 
ous,  are  in  P,uton  cafion  ?„d  V^"''  "'^  ^^T  ""^er- 
two  hundred  acres;  tley  arlr'""  '  ^^^^^  °^  about 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  I'      °".'  "^'"^^"  hundred 
-des  from  three  tho  slnd    o  T      T""'''"'  °"  all 
he.§:ht,-   there  are  morrtha^.h        1^°"'^"'^  fe«  '" 
fteam-holes,  and  gas-Its  „?k'^  ''""^^^'^  ^Prings 
h*  in  the  vicinity^olk  and"  tr  ^'"'"'P'     °"  "'^  ^^ 
above  the  smoke  a'nd  steam  of  th?"  .r""  '''''''  ^eads 
^'-  scenery  in  the  vicini^Ts  itu'r''™"  '"='°«'.-  and 
There  ,s  abundance  of  trout  TnT''".'  '""^  ™'"amic. 
and  of  hear,  deer,  and  qn^u' Z  Kn  '^■'"'''»  "^'^ams. 


^■m 


212 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  Springs  are  of  various  sizes  and  degrees  of  heat; 
some  so  hot  that  an  t.g%  can  be  boiled  in  three  minutes. 
The  fluids  emitted  from  these  springs  are  of  every  color 
and  shade:  one,  the  "Devil's  Ink  Bottle,"  sends  forth  a 
good  quality  of  black  ink.  Mingled  with  the  fluids, 
impregnating  the  air,  and  c*"usting  the  surface  in  this 
vicinity,  are  alum,  ammonia,  sulphuric  acid,  nitric  acid, 
sulphur,  epsv^m  salts,  magnesia,  and  soda. 

A  short  distance  from  this  is  the  "Witch's  Cauldron," 
about  seven  feet  in  diameter,  boiling  and  hissing,  as  its 
sable  hell-broth  lashes  for  th  -ee  or  four  feet  above  the 
4ips  of  the  cauldron.  The  depth  of  this  infernal  pit  is 
unknown. 

Some  yards  from  the  cauldron  are  "Steamboat 
springs,"  where,  in  apertures  in  the  side  of  the  rocks, 
in  dense  volumes,  great  jets  of  steam  shoot  forth  with 
a  roaring,  thundering  noise,  like  the  escaping  steam 
from  a  steamboat.  Strange  to  say,  that,  in  the  edges 
of  the  steam  and  hot  springs,  where  the  heat  is  two 
hundred  degrees,  grass,  flowers,  and  herbs  grow :  they 
are,  however,  peculiar  to  this  place,  and  seem  to  flourish 
in  water  and  steam  that  would  destroy  life  in  any  other 
vegetable  growth. 

In  the  vicinity  of  this  laboratory  of  nature  wagon- 
loads  of  alum,  sulphates  of  iron,  sulphur,  and  epsom  salts 
can  be  gathered.  The  strange  and  fearful  commotions 
in  this  locality,  whether  caused  by  chemical  forces  or 
'  from  some  unquenched  furnace  sdll  devouring  the  rocks 
below,  is  well  calculated  to  impress  the  beholder  with 
the  power  of  Omnipotence. 

Shocks  of  earthquakes,  although  irregular  and  uncer- 
tain in  their  oscillations  and  appalling  in  the  extreme, 
soon  pass  away ;  but  to  stand  upon  the  verge  of  eter- 


GEYSEHS   OF  CALIFORNIA. 


213 


th 


nity  surrounded  with  volumes  of  steam  and  smoke, 
whose  sulphurous  odors  stifle  and  blind,  and  where  the 
quivering  lips  and  gaping  jaws  coated  with  rough  sul- 
phurous scales  sputter  in  angry  moans  from  infernal 
depths,  while  the  black,  yellow,  and  green  -  streaked 
boiling  saliva  from  these  angry  mouths,  whose  fetid 
breath  suffocates  and  confounds,  lashes  up  its  acid  fluids, 
and  seeming  to  invite  the  beholder  into  the  "Devil's 
Cauldron,"  with  his  sins  fresh  blown  upon  him,  is  not  to 
be  trifled  with  nor  easily  forgotten. 

The  famed  Geysers  of  Iceland,  Milton's  Paradise 
Lost,  and  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress,  warmed  up  with 
a  doctrinal  sermon  upon  the  unquer.chable  fires  of  hell, 
may  serve  to  awaken  a  lively  imagination  of  the  regions 
v/here  the  "worm  never  dieth;"  but,  for  a  genuine 
realization  of  the  blowpipe  of  his  Satanic  majesty,  drop 
the  hypochondriac  in  the  midst  of  these  seething  scenes 
— let  him  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  mountains  of  sulphur 
around — ^let  him  look  upon  the  mysterious  meander- 
ings  of  Pluton  creek — inhale  the  gases  and  fumes  emit- 
ted from  the  angry  mouths  craving  for  a  drop  of  cold 
water — look  upon  the  scalding  and  angry  flu'ds — feel 
the  sides  of  the  crater  tremble  and  swell  beneath  his 
feet,  as  heavy  sighs  come  forth  from  its  fathomless  fur- 
nace, and  its  sulphurous  crest  is  shaken  in  reckless 
defiance  of  the  tame  realities  of  every-day  life — and  the 
scene  is  complete,  and  the  argument  of  unquenchable 
fires  conclusive. 


214 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Waterfalls — ^Yosemite  falls — Creeks — Rivers — Mirror  lake 

Vail — Earthquakes. 


-Bridal 


There  are  few  countries  in  the  world  so  well  supplied 
with  water  as  California.  She  abounds  in  vast  lakes, 
expansive  bays,  and  swift  rivers.  The  Coast  Range 
of  mountains  pours  innumerable  streams  of  crystal 
water  from  its  sides,  cutting  their  way  through  its 
ridges  to  the  ocean  on  the  west,  or  coursing  down  its 
eastern  side  to  water  the  fertile  valleys  below.  In  this 
range  there  are  many  beautiful  canons,  glens,  and  val- 
leys, through  which  these  streams  leap  in  sparkling 
cascades,  affording  tempting  and  cheap  motive  power 
for  the  wheels  of  industry,  and  this  power  the  growing 
necessities  of  the  times  will  demand. 

Almost  two  hundred  miles  to  the  east  of  this  chain 
of  mountains  are  the  famed  Sierras,  stretching  for  four 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  along  the  eastern  line  of  the 
State,  with  their  numerous  lakes  and  dashing  rills  fed 
by  the  eternal  snows  of  their  mountain  tops,  and  pour- 
ing their  liquid  streams  into  the  parched  valleys  below. 
The  myriads  of  bounding  streams  which  course  from 
the  western  slope  of  this  range  have  many  features  of 
wild  beauty  and  utility.  Besides  supplying  the  miner 
and  agriculturist  with  water,  their  foaming,  leaping 
tides,  pouring  through  deep  chasms  thousands  of  feet 
below,  over  the  frowning,  precipitous  walls  of  rocks, 
the  rugged  hill-sides,  and  through  the  tall  trees,  must, 
like  the  waters  of  the  Coast  Range,  at  no  distant  day 


NEAR    VIEW   OF  THE   YO-SEMITE   lAl.l.S.— 2,634    FEET    IN    HEU'.HT. 
(First  Fall  1,600  Feel.    Second  Fall  600  Feet.    Third  Fall  434  Vcet.) 


SUjf 

mo 
anc 
sen 
alii 


C 

cisc( 

neai 

rive: 

cour 

in  a 

and 

worl 

Tl 

marv 

sea,  i 

swell 

reach 

the  n 

rounc 

which 

whose 

delica 

presei 

beautj 

and  ii 

down 

and  in( 

toward 

Ente 


YOSEMITE  AND  ITS   WONDERS. 


215 


supply  the  busy  scenes  of  skilled  industry  with  sufficient 
motive  power.  But  whether  or  no  the  hand  of  science 
and  industry  shall  tame  the  wild  current  of  the  Yo- 
semite,  its  natural  beauty  must  hold  supreme  sway  over 
all  the  great  wonders  of  California. 


YOSEMITE  F.ALLS. 

One  hundred  and  forty  miles  due  east  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  one  hundred  and  eighty -two  miles  by  the 
nearest  line  of  travel,  on  the  head  waters  of  the  Merced 
river  and  in  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  Mariposa 
county,  forty-five  miles  west  of  the -eastern  State  line, 
in  a  gorge  of  the  Sierras,  are  the  famed  Yosemite  falls 
and  valley,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots  in  the 
world. 

The  valley  with  the  surroundings  of  this  scene  of 
marvellous  ber^.uty  stands  about  4,060  feet  above  the 
sea,  is  about  eight  miles  in  length  and  one  in  width, 
swelling  in  the  centre  to  about  three  miles.  It  is- 
reached  by  a  descent  of  over  two  thousand  feet  down 
the  rugged  sides  of  the  mountains  by  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded. This  beautiful  valley,  through  the  centre  of 
which  meanders  in  graceful  curves  a  silver  stream,  upon 
whose  sides  is  a  green  carpet  of  grass  bespangled  with 
delicately  tinted  flowers  and  studded  with  stately  pines, 
presents  in  the  deep  forest  a  picture  of  unsurpassed 
beauty.  The  atmosphere,  so  pure,  perfumed,  buoyant, 
and  invigorating,  with  the  mellow  sunlight  flooding 
down  upon  this  charming  spot,  makes  it  most  attractive, 
and  induces  feelings  of  serene  composure  and  good  will 
toward  men. 

Entering  the  valley  at  the  west  by  a  precipitous 


2l6 


THE   GOLDEN  STA  TE. 


descent,  the  green  vale  is  brought  suddenly  to  a  termi 
nation  by  the  closing  in  of  the  walls  of  a  steep  canon ; 
threading  up  this  valley,  frowning  walls  of  granite  of 
from  three  thousand  to  four  thousand  feet  completely 
surround  it,  until  the  beholder  is  standing  in  the  midst 
of  the  wildest,  most  terribly  grand,  and  awe-inspiring 
natural  architectural  splendor  on  the  globe.  Casting 
his  eyes  upward,  he  beholds  the  grandest  scene  of 
nature,  before  which  the  majesty  of  the  pyramids  of 
Egypt,  the  frigid  walls  of  Iceland's  mountains,  the 
glaciers  of  Lapland,  and  the  stately  grandeur  of  the 
Andes  pale.  No  .scene  so  grand  can  be  found  in  the 
gorges  of  Switzerland :  neither  the  rugged  face  of  Via 
Mala,  the  frowning  pass  of  Tete  Noir,  nor  the  precipice 
over  which  the  Staubbach  pours  its  foam,  can  present 
such  wild  beauty.  The  cleft  walls  and  lofty  turrets  of 
the  Himalayas  fail  to  equal  the  stern,  imposing  perpen- 
dicular walls  of  smooth  granite,  rearing  their  massive, 
clean  sides,  for  almost  a  mile,  sheer  and  stern.  Nor 
can  the  wild  roar  and  dashing  tide  of  the  Niagara  equal 
the  grand  march  of  the  crystal  fountains  leaping  from 
their  granite  imprisonment  and  bounding  headlong  in 
reckless  glee  over  and  through  these  precipitous  walls 
for  2,700  feet  Looking  heavenward,  the  beholder 
views  the  soft-shaded  drab  sides  of  two  perpendicular 
walls,  rising  almost  a  mile  in  height,  and  so  close  that, 
should  either  fall  over,  it  would  tumble  against  the 
other.  Seeking  in  vain  for  the  lost  mass  of  rock  which 
•  once  filled  the  chasm,  the  conclusion  is  arrived  at  that 
the  bottom  must  have  dropped  out,  and  the  molten 
mass  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  received  as  a  sweet 
morsel  the  millions  of  tons  of  granite  once  a  part  of 


EL   CAPITAN  AND    THE  DOMES, 


217 


these  mountains;  and  this  idea  seems  to  be  entertained 
by  the  most  scientific  observers. 

Bastions,  peaks,  and  shafts  rear  their  heads  in  impos- 
ing grandeur.  El  Capitan  Hfts  its  sheer  sides  3,3CX) 
feet  above  the  Httle  valley ;  cathedral  spires  push  their 
slender  granite  shafts  high  in  the  air,  above  which  the 
•'Three  Brothers"  rear  their  unscarred  and  solemn  walls 
four  thousand  feet  in  perpendicular  grandeur  above 
the  valley.  As  the  observer  looks  in  reverence  upon 
Jehovah's  grandest  masonry,  the  eye  is  relieved  by 
what  appears  to  be  a  shrub  held  in  a  creA-ice  of  the  per- 
pendicular wall:  it  seems  to  cling  nervously  to  the  cold 
rock,  yet  shakes  its  tiny  branches  in  defiance  c^*  all 
below :  it  is  more  than  twenty-five  hundred  feet  from 
the  green  vale  below.  This  tiny  shrub  proves  to  be  a 
gigantic  forest  pine,  dwarfed  in  the  distance. 

Still  other  attractions,  mighty  walls  and  frowning 
turrets,  strike  the  beholder :  "  Sentinel  rock,"  elevated 
three  thousand  feet  from  the  valley,  and  the  crowning 
grandeur  of  the  scene — the  "Dome" — whose  bastion 
and  perpendicular  walls  rear  in  unbroken  masses  4,160 
feet  above  its  pedestal,  fringed  with  grass  and  beautiful 
flowers  below. 

Contemplating  these  mighty,  stern  sentinels  of  eter- 
nity, whose  domes  may  have  been  reared  millions  of 
centuries  before  the  tree  from  which  was  plucked  the 
forbidden  fruit  of  Eden  sent  forth  its  first  leaf — in  the 
midst  of  these  scenes,  we  sigh  for  the  lost  energies  of 
Plato  and  Kepler,  probing  the  sides  and  sounding  the 
lungs  of  mother  earth;  we  bear  testimony  to  the  ir- 
reparable loss  to  science  that  Whitson,  Baron  Fourier, 
De  Maillet,  Leibnitz,  Hutton,  Werner,  Murray,  Kirwan, 
Deluc,  Lyell,  Buckland,  Humboldt,  Hugh  Miller,  and 


3l8 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


Agassiz  have  never  gazed  upon  these  monumental  piles 
abounding  in  rich  evidences  and  stern  lessons  of  geo- 
logical wonders. 

But  these  gigantic  columns  and  frowning  pillars  are 
not  the  only  wonders  or  beauties  of  Yosemite.     Mingled 
with  these  stately  domes,  and  pouring  their  sparkling 
gc;ms  from  their  aerial  urns,  are  the  most  magnificent 
waterfalls  that  ever  adorned  the  earth.     Standing  upon 
the  sward  below  and  looking  upward,  the  scene  is  grand 
beyond  description :  through  the  narrow  walls  of  the 
smooth  rocks  above  is  heard  the  thundering  march  of 
Yosemite  fall,  coming  with-  its  mighty  torrent,  thirty 
feet  wide  and  three  feet  deep,  dashing  at  a  single  bound 
sixteen  hundred  feet  upon  a  ledge  or  grand  shelf  of 
granite;  here,  gathering  its  spent  forces,  it  rallies  again, 
and,  leaping  from  urn  to  urn,  frolics  downward  for  a 
distance  of  seven  hundred  feet,  eddying,  curving,  and 
sparkling  along;  here,  marshalling  all  its  forces  and 
raising  its  hoarse  chorus  in  the  wild  cry  of  its  last  effort, 
it  plunges  furiously  through  the  chasm  four  hundred 
additional  feet,  coiling  itself  like  a  serpent  in  the  basin 
of  the  lawn  below,  through  which  it  sullenly  meanders, 
whispering  in  subdued  tones  to  the  nodding  flowers 
and  foliage,  which  seem  to  recognize  the  presence  of  a 
dethroned  monarch.    The  fall  of  this  mightiest  of  cas- 
cades, from  its  uppermost  height  to  its  final  repose  in 
the  valley  below,  is  2,7CX)  feet;  whilst  the  famed  Vorings- 
fos  of  Norway,  a  mere  thread  in  volume,  is  but  950 
feet,  and  the  world-famed  Niagara,  although  so  vast  in 
volume  that  it  has  no  rival  on  the  globe,  falls  but  1 60 
feet,  but  one-sixteenth  of  the  fall  of  Yosemite,  leaving 
the  California  waterfall  the  greatest  in  the  world. 
One  of  the  many  charming  features  of  this  spot  is 


CATHEDRAL  ROCKS,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 
(2,66o  feet  high  above  the  Valley.) 


YOSEMITE  AND  ITS  BEAUTIES. 


219 


the  deep  basin  known  as  Mirror  lake — a  placid  foun- 
tain formed  from  the  spent  diamond  drops  of  the  cata- 
ract, so  transparent  that  the  hanging  cliffs,  stately  pines, 
and  foliage  upon  its  boicicrs  are  so  completely  mirrored 
in  its  depths  that,  with  their  roots  seemingly  clinging  to 
the  surface  and  tops  downward,  all  the  verdure  and 
beauty  of  the  forest  and  grandeur  of  the  mountains  are 
seen — in  reality  above,  in  shadow  below.  The  photog- 
rapher's art  has  beautifully  portrayed  this  scene  of 
substance  and  shadow  in  the  familiar  pictures  of  "  Mirror 
lake"  so  common  in  the  picture  stores  and  art  galleries 
of  San  Francisco. 

But  all  the  beauty  of  Yosemite  does  not  end  with 
these  scenes.  We  must  yet  dwell  upon  the  most  fairy- 
like pictures  of  earth:  the  "Bridal  Vail,"  outrivalling 
the  daintiest  gossamer  behind  which  blushing  maiden 
hides  her  charms,  pours  its  sparkling  flood  of  pearls, 
dancing,  leaping,  and  sporting  in  fantastic  glee,  and  bath- 
ing the  stern  and  precipitous  cliffs  in  its  cooling  mists 
of  nine  hundred  feet  descent.  This  beautiful  fall,  burst- 
ing from  the  summit,  ligh^jjnd  gauzy  in  its  volume, 
spreads  its  glistening  spray  in  a  sheet  of  thin  vapor, 
which,  met  by  the  eddying  zephyrs  that  float  about, 
catch  up  its  fleecy  folds,  looping,  tossing,  and  Whirling 
them  about  in  spasms  of  sublime  coquetry,  ever  chang- 
ing the  fascinating  scene  in  the  hazy  and  translucent 
mists,  where  the  mysterious  crimson  and  gold  of  the 
ever-changing  rainbows,  dancing  and  floating,  blend, 
dissolve,  and  disappear  like  the  shadow  of  a  vision. 
The  dallyings  and  coquetry  of  these  new-born  myste- 
ries, as  in  couplets  and  triplets  they  lock  arms  and  seem 
to  waltz  into  their  dissolving  eternity,  shaking  from 
,il;heir  azure  pinions  the  silvery  mists  of  the  clouds,  form 


"■I«IP"' 


220 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  loveliest  combination  of  terrestrial  and  celestial 
phenomena  ever  beheld  by  man. 

The  view  from  tlie  summit  of  the  grand  bastions  and 
peaks  of  this  fascinating  spot,  looking  from  their  aerial 
heights  upon  the  frolicking  torrents,  leaping  and  laugh- 
ing in  their  mountain  glee,  and  watching  the  sudden 
meander! ngs  in  the  vale  below,  where  stately  pines  of 
two  hundred  feet  look  like  garden  shrubs,  is  at  once 
grand,  picturesque,  and  romantic,  outrivalling  any  scene 
of  natural  beauty  yet  discovered  on  the  globe,  lending 
new  inspiration  to  the  beholder,  and  opening  new  fields 
of  meditation  for  the  painter  and  the  poet — a  scene 
where  the  careworn  combatant  in  the  fickle  struggle  of 
life  can  look  from  his  heated  and  disordered  plain  upon 
the  majesty  of  Jehovah's  mightiest  cathedral,  whose 
silver-tongued  organs,  from  creation  to  eternity,  peal 
forth  their  choral  strains  proclaiming  the  omnipotence 
of  the  Creator. 

So  sacred  is  the  Yosemite  valley  held  by  the  people 
of  California  that,  in  order  to  preserve  its  primitive 
beauty  and  spare  its  forests  from  invading  ax-men,  they 
proc\ir»Hl  an  act  of  Congress  donating  tliis  lovely  spot 
to  the  State,  in  trust  for  the  people. 

EARTHQUAKES. 

Since  tlir  days  of  the  first  mutterings  of  Stromboli, 
(Lipari  isles,)  whose  continuous  fires  have  not  been 
qW'ndu  (I  for  more  than  two  thousand  years,  up  to  the 
desolating  ravages  of  Vesuvius  ami  Etna,  the  uplifting 
of  Jorullo,  a/id  ^he  angry  lips  o/  Cotopaxi  spit  forth  its 
molten  masses  of  nio/^L'  \\sm\  oiif;  hundred  tons  a  dis- 
tance of  nine  miles,  the  \\\\\\\M\  laiully  \i\i  ^  held  the 
strange  phenomenon  of  earthquakes  as  feurlul  visita- 


"  i^i* 


'*if 


EARTHQUAKES. 


221 


tlons  of  God's  wrath ;  but  science,  which  has  enabled 
man  to  measure  the  heavenly  constellations,  harness 
steam,  chain  the  lightning  and  encircle  the  globe  in  its 
electric  bands,  has  fully  demonstrated  the  volcanic  origin 
of  this  element  of  force  and  terror.  All  parts  of  the 
globe  have  been  at  some  time  visited  by  earthquakes 
and  volcanic  eruptions;  and  those  portions  of  the  sphere 
where  the  interior  fires  have  most  to  feed  upon,  and 
where  they  reach  their  fiery  tongues  nighest  the  surface, 
sometimes  break  forth  in  volcanic  eruptions ;  or  the 
great  furnaces  below,  receiving  of  a  sudden  great  floods 
of  water  from  the  fissures,  of  the  earth,  gorges,  and 
streams  of  the  mountains,  or  from  the  ocean  itself, 
generate  such  injmense  bodies  of  steam  and  gases  that 
these  elements,  in  seeking  an  escape,  rush  furio'isly 
through  the  chasms  below,  causing  mother  earth  to 
cough,  shake  her  sides,  and  w  riggle  her  back,  much  to 
the  terror  of  her  occupants. 

Europe,  South  and  Central  America,  and  Mexico 
have  been  the  theatres  of  fearful  eruptions  and  shocks 
of  earthquakes.  In  many  parts  of  the  United  States 
shocks  of  great  severity  have  been  felt.  Philadelpnia 
and  Boston,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  found  their 
chimney-tops  ratding  about  the  heads  of  their  pious 
Quakers  and  sedate  Puritans. 

The  severest  earthquake  ever  felt  in  the  United 
States  was  at  New  Madrid,  Missouri,  which  commenced 
at  two  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  December  i6,  iSii. 
Twenty-eight  shocks  occurred  on  this  day,  uprooting 
trees,  opening  large  fissures  in  the  earth,  shaking  down 
chimneys,  and  doing  much  damage.  From  this  period 
to  the  8th  of  February  following,  the  earth  was  con- 
standy  agitated.     On  this  day  the  shocks  were  most 


-.fel  !  ^S 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


severe:  houses  were  levelled,  trees  rent  in  pieces,  por* 
tions  of  the  land  sunk,  forming  lakes;  and  a  large  island 
in  the  Mississippi,  covered  with  immense  forests,  sank 
beneath  the  wateK\  and  the  course  of  the  Mississippi 
was  turned  back  for  more  than  'an  hour;  jets  of  electric 
fire,  mud,  and  soot  issued  from  the  earth,  which  was  in 
commotion  for  several  months;  yet  it  is  not  certain  that 
a  single  life  was  lost. 

There  is  no  account  of  any  earthquake  ever  having 
occurred  in  California  of  any  such  violent  character, 
until  the  Inyo  earthquake  of  1872:  indeed,  compared 
with  the  earthquakes  of.  other  times  and  countries, 
California's  earthquakes  are  but  gentle  oscillations, 
reminding  us  of  the  herculean  spasm  of  nature  that 
jerked  the  Sierras  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and 
tossed  the  Himalayas  and  Andes  into  the  air.  Through- 
out the  length  of  the  State,  especially  within  a  space 
of  sixty  miles  of  the  coast,  occasional  tremors  and  light 
earthquake-shocks  are  felt;  sometimes  these  shocks  are 
sharp  and  decisive,  but,  so  far,  have  not  been  destruc- 
tive to  any  extent.  History  does  not  tell  us  of  any  earth- 
quakes in  California  from  its  earliest  settlement  up  to 
1800.  In  October  of  this  year,  some  adobe  buildings 
were  cracked  at  the  village  of  San  Juan  Bautista.  This 
is  the  first  earthquake  mentioned  in  the  mission  records 
of  the  country.  The  next  account  is  found  in  the  records 
of  the  Presidio  of  San  Francisco,  showing  that  twenty- 
one  shocks  had  occurred  from  the  21st  of  June  to  the 
17th  of  July,  1808.  From  this  period  to  181 2  there  is 
no  mention  of  earthquakes.  In  September  of  that  year, 
a  very  severe  earthquake  shook  the  lower  portion  oi 
the  State  with  great  violence,  almost  totally  destroying 
■  the  Mission  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,  in  Los  Angeles 


EARTHQUAKES, 


223 


county,  and  the  Mission  of  Prurissima,  in  Santa  Barbara 
county;  also  the  church  at  San  Inez.  Thirty  persons 
are  supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  this  shock:  this 
is  the  first  account  of  loss  of  life  in  California  by  earth- 
quakes. In  1 81 8,  a  mission  church  at  Santa  Clara  was 
thrown  down;  and  at  San  Franciso,  on  May  15,  1851, 
glass  windows  were  broken,  goods  in  the  stores  mis- 
placed and  shaken  down,  and  ships  in  the  bay  rocked 
and  tumbled  about  by  a  very  severe  shock.  At  San 
Jos6,  in  November,  1858,  a  severe  shock  cracked  most  of 
the  brick  buildings  of  the  town.  A  portion  01"  Alameda 
county  was  severely  shaken  on  July  3, 1 861 .  About  noon 
on  Sunday,  October  8,  1865,  a  very  severe  shock  was 
felt  at  San  Francisco,  and  many  buildings  were  shaken 
so  as  to  cause  them  to  be  cracked.  The  vibrations 
seemed  to  be  from  north  tc  south ;  along  the  western 
side  of  Montgomery  street  for  several  blocks,  the  glass 
windows  were  shivered  to  atoms,  and  on  the  west  side 
of  Third  street,  for  two  blocks,  and  in  many  other  parts 
of  the  city,  the  glass  was  broken  and  literally  ground  to 
powder.  Great  consternation  was  caused  among  the 
worshippers  in  the  churches,  (it  being  Sunday  ;)  many 
Glinted  nnd  were  much  alarmed. 

Since  the  occupation  of  the  country  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, in  1846.  there  has  not  a  year  passed  without  one 
or  more  si>)cks  being  felt  in  the  State,  sometimes  con- 
fined to  small  sections  of  the  countr\',  at  others  extend- 
ing over  a  vast  area.  It  often  occurs  that  the  shocks 
felt  at  San  Francisco  are  not  felt  at  Stockton,  Sacra- 
mento, or  Marysville.  The  severest  earthquake  since 
tJie  occupation  of  the  countn,-,  up  to  1872,  was  experi- 
enced on  the  2ist  of  October.  1S6S,  about  eight  o'clock 
ii    -le  morning.     It  was  felt  most  severely  in  the  vicinity 


224 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  San  Francisco  and  in  Alameda  county,  causing^  con- 
siderable damage  and  much  alarm.  It  commenced  by 
gentle  oscillations,  increasing  in  violence,  when,  with  a 
fearful  tremor,  it  tossed  and  swayed  the  buildings  until 
they  toppled  and  almost  fell,  causing  great  terror,  and 
filling  the  streets  with  the  inhabitants,  many  of  whom 
abandoned  their  dwellings,  sought  refuge  upon  the 
vacant  lots  and  public  parks,  where  they  erected  tents, 
and  for  several  days  refused  to  be  comforted  or  return  to 
their  homes.  Many  brick  buildings  were  cracked,  others 
partly  sank,  and  some  in  course  of  erection  were  thrown 
down  ;  while  not  a  building  in  the  city  which  was  sub- 
stantially built  or  upon  good  solid  foundations,  although 
there  were  many  brick  houses  of  four  and  five  stories 
in  the  city,  received  any  damage.  Several  shaky,  rick- 
ety walls  and  hanging  cornices  of  brick  and  mud  (for 
the  mortar  used  in  San  Francisco  is  the  poorest  in  the 
world)  were  thrown  down  or  much  damaged,  and  win- 
dows were  pretty  generally  broken.  Three  persons 
Were  killed,  all  by  the  falling  of  defective  cornices  or 
Walls.  The  court-house  at  San  Leandro,  Alameda 
county,  was  thrown  down,  and  one  man  killed.  Many 
other  buildings  around  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  were 
destroyed,  and  in  some  sections  not  a  brick  chimney 
could  be  seen  standing.  Added  to  the  terror  of  the 
people  was  a  dull,  sickening  sensation,  like  sea-sickness, 
causing  some  great  distress.  Some  persons  who  had 
arrived  shortly  before  this  from  the  Atlantic  States,  and 
others  who  had  been  in  California  for  many  years,  left 
the  State,  intending  never  to  return.  It  seems  singular 
that  these  people  should  leave  a  country  where,  for 
more  than  half  a  century,  not  a  half-dozen  people  have 
been  killed  by  any  natural    phenomena,  while  In  the 


and 
Franc 
Nevac 
on  the 
this 
of  the 
stand 
Whiti. 
thousa 
former 
are  see 
and  su 

»5 


■      EARTHQUAKES. 


225 


New  England  States,  Middle  States,  and  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  hundreds  are  killed  annually  by  sun- 
stroke, lightning,  fro«t,  and  hurricanes,  which  yearly 
destroy  millions  of  dolkrs  worth  ot  property. 

California  is  entirely  exempt  from  accident  by  sun- 
stroke, lightning,  hurricanes,  and  frosts.  There  is 
scarcely  a  State  in  the  Union,  east  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, which  does  not  in  a  single  year  lose  more  human 
lives  by  some  of  the  above-mentioned  phenomena  than 
has  been  lost  by  earthquakes  in  California  within  the 
memory  of  man  up  to  the  year  1872. 

The  severest  earthquake  ever  known  in  California, 
far  surpassing  in  violence,  duration,  and  destruction  of 
life  any  disturbance  of  this  nature  west  of  Mexico,  in 
America,  occurred  in  the  southeastern  section  of  the 
State,  in  the  cou»}ty  of  Inyo,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1872, 
completely  levelling  the  houses  in  the  vicinity  and  caus- 
ing great  panic  and  loss  of  life.  The  location  of  this 
eruption  is  in  37°  north  latitude  .?nd  118°  longitude 
west  from  Greenwich,  one  hundrea  and  eighty  miles 
due  east  from  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  and  two  hundred 
and  thirty  miles  due  southeast  from  the  city  of  San 
Francisco.  Inyo  county  lies  entirely  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains.  (This  county  and  Mono  adjoining 
on  the  north  are  the  only  counties  :n  the  State  east  of 
this  range.)  In  the  Sierras  forming  the  western  line 
of  the  county,  close  to  the  scene  of  this  commotion, 
stand  the  loftiest  mountains  in  the  State — Tyndall  and 
Whit.iey  standing  respectively  fourteen  and  fifteen 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Abundant  evidences  of 
former  eruptions  and  the  volcanic  nature  of  this  section 
are  seen  on  ever)'^  side :  alkaline  deserts,  dry  lakes,  hot 

and  sulphurous  springs,  and  to  the  south  Death  valley 
IS 


k 


'■f 


1 


22d 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  the  mud  volcanoes,  hot,  salt,  alkaline,  and  bitter 
springs  and  extinct  craters  of  San  Bernardino  county, 
Owens  lake,  (see  Lakes.)  The  Coso,  Inyo,  and  White 
mountains,  with  valuable  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  pass 
through  this  county.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  disturbances 
are  rich  agricultural  valleys  and  pasture  ranges,  but, 
owing  to  the  remoteness  of  tht,  county  from  railroads 
and  navigation,  but  little  permanent  settlement  has  yet 
been  made.  The  entire  population  of  the  county  is  but 
1.956,  engaged  chiefly  in  quartz-mining,  grazing,  and 
agriculture.  A  large  number  of  the  population  are 
native  Californians  of  Mexican  extraction,  and  the  vil- 
lages are  built  chiefly  of  adobe  or  sun-dried  bricks,  as 
are  most  of  the  Spanish  and  Mexican  towns  of  America. 
Earthquakes  make  fearful  havoc  among  such  houses, 
shaking  them  into  heaps  of  loose  sand,  while  frame  or 
solid  brick  buildings  are  little  affected,  unless  by  severe 
shocks. 

At  two  and  a-half  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  March 
26,  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  were  awakened  by 
loud  explosions  as  of  heavy  artillery,  followed  in  an  in- 
stant by  a  terrible  upheaval  and  rocking  of  the  earth 
from  south  to  north.  At  the  little  town  of  Lone  Pine, 
as  if  in  a  twinkling,  the  whole  place  (containing  about 
five  hundred  inhabitants)  was  destroyed,  not  a  building 
left  standing,  and  the  frenzied  inhabitants  buried  in  the 
ruins — some  in  death;  others  rending  the  night  air  with 
their  agony  and  lamentations;  parents  and  children, 
wives  and  husbands,  separated,  some  dead,  others  in 
intense  pain  crying  to  be  relieved  from  their  imprison- 
ment in  the  ruins  of  their  fallen  homes;  others  in  the 
wildest  delirium,  rocked,  pitched,  and  tossed  in  the 
darkness  of  night  among  the  dead  and  dying,  while  the 


swal 

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tution 

other 


EARTHQUAKES. 


227 


hissing,  roaring,  and  rumbling  of  volcanic  heat  and  steam 
below,  and  tumbling  mountain-tops  above  swaying  their 
heads  to  and  fro,  and  shaking  from  their  sides  vast 
bodies  of  rocks,  rendered  the  scene  appalling  in  its 
intense  fury.  From  two  and  a-half  9' clock,  the  time 
of  the  first  shock,  until  sunrise  over  three  hundred 
distinct  shocks  were  felt,  and  more  than  one  thousand 
distinct  shocks  within  three  days,  and  seven  thousand 
shocks  to  April  4.  The  earth  during  this  period  was 
not  still  a  moment,  shaking,  trembling,  and  quaking, 
indicating  the  immense  forces  at  work  below.  At 
TIbbet's  ranche,  fifteen  miles  from  the  town  of  Inde- 
pendence, about  forty  acres  of  ground  sunk  about 
seven  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  country;  Owens 
lake  rose  four  feet,  and  Owens  and  Kern  rivers  turned 
back  for  several  miles,  and  ran  over  their  banks,  de- 
positing shoals  offish  on  the  shores;  and  vast,  yawning 
fissures  and  chasms  opened  their  jaws,  in  some  instances 
swallowing  the  dead  and  dying,  and  stretching  for  miles 
across  the  country  their  sepulchral  depths,  froin  which 
came  the  sulphurous  and  fiery  breath  of  the  unbridled 
and  unwelcome  monster  whose  voice  is  the  terror  of 
our  race. 

Lone  Pine,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  centre  point 
of  the  shock,  had  twenty-seven  persons  killed  and  a  large 
number  wounded;  and  fifty-two  buildings  (three-fourths 
of  the  whole  town)  were  destroyed.  At  Corro  Gordo, 
Swansa,  and  Independence  buildings  were  shaken  down 
and  a  few  persons  killed  and  some  wounded.  Thirty- 
four  persons  in  all  were  killed  by  the  earthquake  of  Inyo 
county,  and  about  one  hundred  wounded.  The  desti- 
tution of  the  people  being  relieved  by  donations  from 
other  sections  of  the  State,  they  buried  their  dead,  re- 


228 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


built  their  homes,  entered  their  mines  and  fields,  and 
pursue  their  avocations  on  tlie  scenes  of  one  of  the 
most  appalling  natural  phenomena  ever  known  in  the 
limits  of  the  republic  of  America. 

The  extent  of  the  Lone  Pine  earthquake  wks  along  the 
whole  line  of  California,  being  felt  in  every  town  from 
the  Oregon  line  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  from  the 
southern  slope  of  the  Sierras  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific, 
extending  seven  to  eight  hundred  miles  north  and 
south  and  three  huiylred  miles  fr6m  east  to  west. 

The  Sierra  Nevada  in  the  region  described  breaks 
down  southerly  into  a  number  of  detached  parallel 
ranges,  and  in  San  Bernardino  and  San  Diego  counties 
loses  altogether  its  distinctive  character  as  a  great 
mountain  chain.  The  region  abounds  with  evidences 
of  comparatively  recent  volcanic  action.  Alkali  lakes, 
like  Owens  lake — a  body  of  salt  and  alkaline  water 
twenty-two  miles  in  length  and  eight  in  width — solfa- 
taras,  hot  springs,  and  mud  volcanoes,  point  unmistaka- 
bly to  the  fact  that  the  tremendous  forces  which  once 
were  in  active  operation  all  along  the  Sierra  are  here 
still  asserting  themselves  with  lessened  but  still  threat- 
ening energy.  The  noted  depression  of  Death's  valley, 
not  far  southeast  from  Owens  lake,  with  its  area  of 
forty  miles  in  length  and  ten  miles  in  width,  a  great 
portion  of  which  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  sea,  while  the  surrounding  mountains  are 
not  less  than  five  thousand  feet  above  it,  is  a  locality 
plainly  evidencing  volcanic  action.  Still  further  south, 
in  San  Bernardino  county,  north  of  the  trail  leading 
from  Fort  Mojave  via  the  sink  of  the  Mojave,*  the 
Mojave  desert  and  river,  to  Los  Angeles,  there  are 
numerous  volcanic  craters,  rising  to  heights  of  fifty  to 


EARTHQUAKES. 


229 


two  hundred  feet  above  the  desolate  plain,  still  as  per- 
fect as  when  their  fires  went  out.  A  lava  flow  covers 
the  earth  for  many  miles,  stretching  like  a  great  frozen 
river  through  the  desert  in  this  vicinity. 

The  volcanic  belt  extends  to  the  borders  of  the  Col- 
orado desert,  where  hot  mineral  springs,  volcanic  ashes 
in  vast  beds,  lava,  pumice-stone,  and  other  evidences 
of  comparatively  recent  volcanic  disturbance,  are  found 
in  abundance.  It  is  even  supposed  that  the  "Dry 
Lake,"  or  great  salt  plain  of  the  Colorado  desert,  was 
the  bed  of  the  sea  at  no  very  distant  date,  and  that  its 
present  condition  is  the  result  of  volcanic  action,  the 
ancient  water-line,  still  disdnctly  marked  by  sedimentary 
discoloration,  extending  along  the  side  of  the  San  Gor- 
gonio  mountain,  south  of  San  Gorgonio  pass,  for  some 
fifty  miles.  At  Dos  Palmas,  a  water  station  on  the 
northeastern  side  of  the  Colorado  desert,  on  the  trail 
from  San  Bernardino  via  San  Gorgonio  pass  to  Lapaz, 
on  the  Colorado  river,  in  May,  1868,  a  severe  earth- 
quake— which  was  not  felt  in  northern  and  central 
California — opened  a  long  fissure  in  the  earth,  from 
which  a  stream  of  cold  water  flowed  for  some  weeks. 
This  fissure  is  but  a  short  distance  from  the  great  hot 
sp:  ing  of  Dos  Palmas,  which  is  stiil  flowing,  but  is  said 
to  havt;  grown  very  much  cooler  since  that  event.  At 
For^  Ttjon,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Kern  county, 
several  years  ago,  the  earth  was  rent  into  a  chasm.  In 
the  late  convulsion  the  ground  heaved  and  vibrated, 
and  thien,  as  the  awful  sound  died  in  its  far-off  echoes, 
those  who  had  escaped  from  their  crumbling  dwellings 
aghast  and  .almost  speechless  with  terror  hoped  the 
catastrophe  was  over.     But  almost  instantly,  away  to 


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230 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  south,  down  the  narrow  valley  towards  Lone  Pine, 
was  heard  a  sharp  and  thundering  explosion  as  of  a 
thousand  columbiads  fired  at  once.  The  people  braced 
themselves  for  the  shock;  nearer  and  nearer  came  the 
appalling  noise,  and,  as  the  shock  advanced,  thousands 
upon  thousands  of  huge  rocks  tumbled  from  the  crags 
on  either  hand  and  crashed  with  deafening  din  into  the 
ravines  and  upon  the  edges  of  the  valley  below.  Then 
came  the  noise  under  their  feet,  and  with  it  the  awful, 
sickening,  and  terrifying  uplift  and  swing  of  the  earth. 
The  people  ran  to  and  fro;  some  screamed,  some 
prayed;  others  stood  still  and  watched  the  course  of 
things  with  stoical  indifference.  They  soon  learned 
that  but  one  or  two  persons  had  been  killed  there,  and 
yet  none  knew  what  the  end  might  be,  for  the  earth 
vibrated  constantly.  At  short  intervals  would  be  heard 
away  off  in  the  direction  of  Lone  Pine  and  the  lake 
that  terrible  boom!  bang!  as  if  the  very  mountains 
themselves  were  splitting  in  twain.  Not  only  did  tens 
of  thousands  of  rocks  and  boulders,  rolling  down  the 
mountains,  add  to  the  confusion  of  the  scene,  but  in 
the  Sierras,  on  one  side  of  the  valley,  avalanche  after 
avalanche  of  snow  was  seot  thundering,  booming, 
almost  screaming,  down  from  the  regions  of  eternal 
frost  and  ice  to  the  gulfs  below. 

People  living  near  Independence,  at  points  where 
they  could  see  plainly  the  sides  of  the  mountains  on 
either  hand,  at  every  succeeding  shock  could  plainly 
see,  in  a  hundred  places  at  once,  bursting  from  the 
rifted  rocks,  great  sheets  of  flame,  apparendy  thirty  or 
fifty  feet  in  length,  and  which  would  coil  and  Up  about 
a  moment  and  then  disappear.    These  flames  could  not 


EARTHQUAKES. 


231 


have  been  caused  by  friction  of  rocks  and  boulders 
coming  down  the  mountains. 

When  daylight  came,  the  entire  valley  south  of  Inde- 
pendence and  toward  Lone  Pine  was  filled  with  smoke 
and  dust,  and  in  places,  people  said,  the  fumes  of  sul- 
phur were  almost  suffocating.  The  clouds  of  smoke 
extended  from  Fish  Springs  south,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach. 

Numerous  springs  were  dried  up  instantly  and  others 
broke  out  in  other  places,  while  the  flow  of  water  from 
all  was  greatly  increased.  In  one  little  stream,  three 
or  four  inches  deep,  the  water  was  throw  1  upward  to 
the  height  of  two  or  three  feet  over  foot-bridges ; 
springs  of  water  were  forced  out  of  the  mountains 
where  before  the  rocks  had  been  as  dry  as  a  powder 
house.  The  valley  was  literally  torn  in  pieces.  In 
every  direction  there  were  fissures,  which,  however, 
filled  in  again  by  the  loose  soil.  Some,  however,  were 
long  and' deep.  At  one  place  a  large  section  of  the 
valley  had  subsided  about  ten  feet,  leaving  an  abrupt, 
perpendicular  bank  at  the  sides.  In  many  places  the 
ground  was  thrown  into  ridges  and  mounds,  five  or  six 
feet  high,  and  in  every  direction  were  signs  of  the* 
destructive  agencies  that  had  been  at  work,  all,  how- 
ever, decreasing  in  number  and  extent  as  they  travelled 
north.  Cattle  and  horses  were  thrown  prostrate  during 
the  heavier  shocks,  and  their  bellowing  and  neighing 
were  pitiful  to  hear.  At  Fish  Springs  and  other  places 
the  atmosphere  was  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur. 
For  seventy  five  miles  north  of  Independence  not  an 
adobe  or  brick  house  was  left  standing.  The  Indians 
were  terrified  and  commenced  leaving  the  country, 


i 


\\ 


'232 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


fearing  the  recurrence  of  a  general  convulsion  of 
nature,  which,  according  to  their  traditions,  occurred 
in  that  region  some  hundreds  of  years  ago,  and  created 
what  is  known  as  Owens  River  valley,  but  which  was 
before  a  chain  of  mountains. 

The  great  air-valves  of  Mount  Hood,  Oregon,  the 
Mauna  Loa,  Sandwich  islands,  and  Vesuvius,  in  Italy, 
simultaneously  with  the  Inyo  disturbances,  gave  forth 
tokens  of  activity;  and  the  latter,  drawing  its  fiery 
breath  beneath  mountain  and  sea,  acting  as  a  safety- 
valve  to  the  troubled  Sierras,  lights  with  sheeted  flame 
Italian  skies,  while  trembling  Naples  and  Campania, 
and  buried  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum,  attest  its  majes- 
tic grandeur  and  appalling  power.  Almost  simultane- 
ously with  the  Inyo  earthquake,  Vesuvius  poured  forth 
volumes  of  smoke,  ashes,  and  fire,  and  floods  of  liquid 
lava  poured  down  its  sides  and  far  into  the  country, 
destroying  life  and  property,  and  driving  the  terrified 
inhabitants  from  their  homes.  At  Naples,  twelve  miles 
distant,  so  thick  did  the  ashes  fall  that  the  people  had 
to  carry  umbrellas  to  shield  themselves ;  and  these 
emissions  and  fiery  terrors  continued  throughout  the 
•greater  part  of  the  month  of  April.  1872. 

The.  Inyo  earthquake  of  1872,  although  severe  and 
destructive,  is  but  tame  when  compared  with  the  con- 
vulsions in  many  parts  of  Europe.  The  destruction 
of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  in  the  year  63,  and  their 
final  burial  by  volcanic  floods  of  fire  and  ashes  in  the 
year  79,  are  among  the  most  striking  of  recorded 
natural  destructive  commotions.  In  the  year  115, 
while  the  Emperor  Trajan  was  in  the  city  of  Antioch, 
in  Syria,  it  was  almost  totally  destroyed;  again,  in  458, 


It 


EARTHQUAKES, 


233 


it  was  visited  by  a  severe  earthquake;  and  in  526 
occurred  the  most  disastrous  earthquake  on  record: 
while  the  Festival  of  the  Ascension  swelled  the  city  to 
overflow  came  the  fearful  eruptions,  in  which  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  persons  were  swallowed  up.  In 
centuries  past  the  feverish  pulsations  of  the  earth 
visited  almost  every  portion  of  the  globe,  rocking  the 
proud  Roman  empire  as  if  it  were  a  cockle-shell. 

The  great  earthquake  in  Chili,  in  1822,  raised  one 
hundred  thousand  square  miles  of  country  from  two  to 
seven  feet  above  its  former  level.  In  the  year  1 692, 
in  the  island  of  Jamaica,  the  city  of  Port  Royal,  the 
capital,  was  carried  down  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water;  more  than  one  thousand  acres  sunk  in  one 
minute,  the  sea  rolling  the  ships  in  the  harbor  over  the 
tops  of  the  houses.  On  a  more  gigantic  and  destruc- 
tive scale  was  the  one  on  the  island  of  Java,  in  1772, 
when  the  lofty  volcano  Papandayang  was  in  action,  and 
an  area,  including  the  mountain,  of  six  miles  broad  and 
fifteen  miles  long  sunk,  carrying  down  forty  villages 
and  2,957  inhabitants. 

.  In  the  great  earthquake  of  Lisbon,  of  November  i, 
1755,  a  deep,  rumbling,  hollow  sound  preceded  the 
terrible  shock,  which  in  six  minutes  destroyed  the 
principal  portion  of  the  city,  carrying  down  sixty  thou- 
sand people.  The  sea  receded,  leaving  the  bar  dry, 
and  returning  in  a  great  wave  fifty  feet  high,  while  the 
adjacent  mountains  trembled  and  were  flung  into  the 
valleys.  The  frightened  inhabitants,  who  had  sought 
refuge  upon  the  elegant  marble  quay,  just  completed 
at  great  cost,  suddenly  found  themselves  as  if  upon  a 
foundering  ship:  quay  and  all,  with  the  surrounding 


I 


234 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


boats  and  shipping,  all  plunged  into  eternity.  Not  one 
of  the  one  thousand  human  beings  thus  engulfed,  nor  a 
sign  of  boat  or  vessel  of  the  fleets  swallowed  up,  ever 
reappeared  above  the  surface ;  but  over  the  spot  still 
stands  the  waters,  six  hundred  feet  deep,  leaving  no  trace 
of  the  life,  bustle,  and  wealth  of  this  doomed  and  desolate 
region.  The  shock  that  thus  caused  such  devastation 
shook  an  area  four  thnes  as  great  as  all  of  Europe.  It 
was  felt  at  once  in  the  Alps  and  along  the  coast  of 
Sweden.  The  thermal  springs  of  Toplitz,  Germany, 
for  a  time  disappeared.  Loch  Lomond  and  other  lakes 
in  Scotland  rose  and  fell  by  the  agitation.  Along  the 
shores  of  Barbadoes,  Antigua,  and  Martinique  the  tide 
rose  suddenly  more  than  twenty  feet,  and  the  sea  was 
of  inky  blackness.  The  waters  of  Lake  Ontario  were 
agitated ;  and  on  the  shores  of  Massachusetts  the  sea 
roared  and  was  fearfully  agitated,  water-spouts  burst 
forth,  and  springs  which  still  run  were  opened.  Chim- 
neys in  Boston  were  thrown  down,  and  houses  dis- 
jointed and  cracked. 

Naples,  in  December,  1857,  was  threatened  with  total 
destruction  by  violent  shakes ;  while  Mount  Vesuvius 
continued  to  emit  clouds  of  smoke  accompanied  with 
loud  reports  like  the  roar  of  cannon.  At  this  time  the 
destruction  in  the  surrounding  provinces  was  terrible. 
Potenza,  the  capital  of  Basilicata,  was  left  without  a 
single  house  inhabited.  Marsico  Nuovo,  Tito,  Lauren- 
zana,  Polla,  and  other  places  were  reduced  to  ruins: 
from  twenty-five  to  forty  thousand  lives  were  lost,  it  is 
estimated. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1858,  an  earthquake  of  great 
severity  visited  Mexico,  destroying  many  houses  in  the 


EARTHQUAKES. 


235 


capital  and  the  aqueduct  supplying  the  city  with  water, 
and  levelling  churches  and  buildings  throughout  many 
parts  of  the  country.  On  the  2  2d  of  March,  1859,  the 
city  of  Quito,  in  Ecuador,  was  almost  entirely  destroyed 
by  an  earthquake :  several  thousand  persons  perished. 
Throughout  the  greater  part  of  Africa  and  in  the 
region  of  Greenland  no  record  is  made  of  any  earth- 
quakes having  occurred.  In  the  Atlantic  ocean,  midway 
between  Guinea  and  Brazil,  near  the  equator,  eruptions 
are  almost  constantly  occurring,  passing  ships  experi- 
encing their  effects  and  also  observing  the  variations  in 
soundings  and  the  great  irregularity  of  the  bottom  of 
the  sea.  That  this  is  the  seat  of  active  volcanoes  cannot 
be  doubted. 


I  \ 


II 


236 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Zoology — Relics  of  antiquity — Animals — Birds — Fishes — Bull  and 
bear  fights — Reptiles — Bees — Horned  toad — Whales. 

California  in  her  zoological  department  exhibits 
many  interesting  and  entirely  new  specimens  of  beasts, 
birds,  and  fishes,  many  of  which  are  of  great  size,  beauty, 
and  value,  either  on  account  of  their  meat  or  fur ;  and 
to  the  sportsman  they  present  a  field  of  great  attraction. 

The  discovery  of  the  bones  of  immense  animals  at  a 
great  depth  in  the  earth,  and  of  a  size  larger  than  any 
specimens  now  known  upon  the  continent,  assures  us 
that,  at  some  remote  period,  animals  of  enormous  size 
and  of  a  species  unknown  to  the  present  age  roamed 
the  hills  and  valleys  of  California. 

The  bones  of  Indians,  Indian  arrows,  and  stone  mor- 
tars have  also  been  found  at  a  great  depth  in  the  earth, 
showing  that  man  existed  in  the  country  before  the 
great  convulsion  of  nature  which  pushed  up  the  Sierras 
and  elevated  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  valleys 
above  their  ancient  levels. 

ANIMALS. 

The  grizzly  bear  and  elk  are  the  two  largest  animals 
of  California.  The  grizzly  is  confined  to  the  regions 
west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  is  to  be  found 
throughout  the  Sierras,  foot-hills,  and  Coast  Range. 
In  early  days,  these  bears  were  very  numerous,  but  are 
now  comparatively  scarce  and  seldom  molest  man; 
although  there  have  been  many  desperate  fights  between 
the  grizzly  and  hunters.     Their  great  size,  strength, 


t\ 


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BULL  AND  BEAR  FIGHTS 


237 


and  vicious  nature  render  them  a  most  formidable 
enemy.  Many  of  them  are  still  to  be  found  in  the 
Coast  Range  within  a  few  hours  travel  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  generally  throughout  the  timber  portion  of 
the  State.    Their  chief  diet  is  berries  and  herbs. 

The  black  bear,  a  smaller  animal,  inhabits  the  Sierras 
and  the  northern  part  of  Oregon.  There  are  also  the 
cinnamon  bear  and  brown  bear  in  the  mountains,  bu*" 
none  of  these  are  so  destructive  or  vicious  as  the  black 
bear  of  Canada  and  the  other  British  provinces ;  indeed, 
none  of  them  will  attack  man  unless  pressed  to  the 
combat.  But  the  grizzly  is  combative  and  destructive, 
if  wounded  or  brought  to  bay  by  his  pursuers.  The 
weight  of  the  grizzly  is  from  eight  hundred  to  sixteen 
hundred  pounds ;  and  some,  more  than  seven  feet  in 
length  and  over  two  thousand  pounds  in  weight,  have 
been  killed  in  the  State :  these  are  giants  in  strength 
and  appearance,  far  surpassing  the  lion  and  tiger. 

It  was  between  these  monsters  and  the  fierce  Spanish 
bull  that  the  desperate  struggles  formerly  took  place, 
when  a  dollar  a  head  was  willingly  paid  to  see  the  bull 
and  bear  fight  in  California.  These  savage  sports  are 
rare  now  but  to  the  lover  of  brute  force  they  will 
always  form  a  spectacle  of  deep  interest.  The  puny 
efforts  of  cocks,  dogs,  and  men  are  tame  and  insipid 
compared  with  the  fierce  struggle  of  the  bull-pit  as  seen 
in  California.  The  pit  was  circular,  formed  upon  the 
ground  by  many  posts  planted  in  the  earth  from  eight 
to  ten  feet  in  height,  with  seats  around  like  the  amphi- 
theatres of  the  Romans.  In  this  pit  the  grizzly  was 
placed :  the  bull,  after  having  his  nose  scarred  so  that 
the  blood  would  trickle  into  his  mouth  and  nostrils,  by 
tasting  and  smelling  which  he  would  become  desperate 


238 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  roar  furiously,  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of 
his  mortal  enemy.  The  sight  and  smell  of  each  was 
the  signal  for  the  other  to  prepare  for  battle:  the 
grizzly,  with  measured  step  and  yawning  jaws,  coursing 
the  circuit  of  the  pit,  would  await  the  assault  of  his  nim- 
ble assailant;  the  bull,  with  spine  as  straight  as  an 
arrow,  horns  like  lances,  and  an  eye  of  blood,  would 
nervously  survey  his  antagonist,  bellowing  deep  moans 
from  his  bloody  lips,  and  with  a  leap,  such  as  a  Spanish 
bull  only  can  make,  quick  as  a  flash,  fierce  arid  terrible, 
plunge  his  straight  sharp  horns  into  the  shaggy  coat  of 
the  grizzly,  from  which  they  would  bound  as  if  bruin 
were  a  solid  ball  of  rubber.  After  a  few  thrusts  and 
passes  from  the  bull,  and  a  few  scratches  or  heavy 
blows  from  the  paws  of  the  bear,  the  mountain  and 
valley  monarchs  with  the  fury  of  desperation  bound  at 
and  grapple  with  each  other ;  bruin,  dodging  the  fierce 
thrusts  of  the  bull's  horns,  rolls  upon  his  back,  embraces 
the  head  and  neck  of  his  antagonist  in  his  powerful 
arms,  and,  plying  his  throat  and  breast  with  his  hind 
claws,  holds  the  poor  bull  in  such  terrible  embrace  that 
the  wildest  and  most  desperate  plunges  are  unable  to 
release  him  from  his  destroyer.  In  this  struggle  the 
bull  generally  has  his  throat  and  breast  torn  open,  or 
his  neck  broken  in  bruin's  hug;  but  sometimes  a  fortu- 
nate thrust  of  the  bull's  horns  upon  bruin  at  an  un- 
guarded riioment  may,  like  a  bayonet,  pierce  his  side ; 
in  either  case,  the  fight  is  not  regarded  a  success  unless 
one  or  both  are  killed,  which  is  generally  accomplished 
amidst  a  din  of  roaring,  growling,  and  frothing  of  the 
expiring  combatants,  and  the  wild  plaudits  of  the  spec- 
tators, making  the  closing  scene  of  these  fearful  com- 
bats the  most  herculean  spectacles  of  animated  nature 


ANIMALS,  BIRDS,  AND  FISHES, 


239 


The  hide  of  the  grizzly  is  of  little  value,  and  his  meat 
is  so  coarse  that  it  is  little  sought  after.  Both  the  hides 
and  flesh  of  the  other  bears  in  California  are  valuable. 

Lion. — The  cougar,  sometimes  called  the  p^^uther,  or 
California  lion,  is  found  in  most  of  the  wooded  distri  :ts 
of  the  State.  It  is  larger  than  the  largest  dog;  v  ^  -.tied 
with  dark  stripes,  and  sly,  cunning,  and  restless;  pounces 
upon  its  prey  froii;  ci  tree-top  or  hiding  place,  is  cowaraiy, 
and  seldoD  attacks  man. 

The  jaguar  or  American  tiger,  also  the  wild  cat  and 
mountain  cat,  wolf,  several  species  of  foxes,  and  the 
cayote,  are  found  in  the  mountains  and  hill-sides  of  the 
State.  All  the  species  of  foxes  are  small,  and  therefore 
inferior  to  the  Canadian  fox.  The  badger,  raccoon, 
glutton,  skunk,  weasel,  fisher,  sable,  mink,  land  and  sea 
otter,  beaver,  squirrels  in  great  abundance  and  variety, 
seals  and  sea-lions,  are  also  found  either  in  the  rivers 
or  bays  of  the  coast  of  California,  and  northward  in  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific  coast.  No  species  of  land  or  water 
fur-bearing  animals  produce  such  valuable  fur  as  their 
species  do  in  the  more  northern  regions.  Fine  furs  and 
good  fish  are  found  only  in  cold  climates,  if  we  except 
the  salmon  of  California. 

Of  seals  there  are  many  varieties :  the  small,  spotted 
seal,  the  fur  seal,  and  the  sea-lion — the  latter  a  spec'-^s 
inhabiting  the  rocky  cliffs  and  small  islands  of  the 
Pacific  ocean.  A  species  of  this  seal  or  sea-lion  inhabits 
the  clump  of  rocks  directly  south  of  the  Golden  Gate, 
in  front  of  the  Cliff  House,  affording  much  amusement 
to  visitors  by  their  howling  and  floundering  about  upon 
the  rocks.  Some  of  these  animals  are  of  immense  size, 
larger  than  an  ox.     They  are  at  this  place  protected 


240 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


from  the  sportsmen  by  State  law.  Immense  numbers 
of  sea-lions  of  a  very  large  species  inhabit  the  Faral- 
lones,  a  clump  of  islands  of  rock  directly  west  of  the 
Golden  Gate.  Along  the  lower  coast  of  the  State 
several  parties  are  employed  killing  seal  and  sea-lion, 
and  trying  oil  from  them.  The  larger  species  at  the 
Farallones  are  not  very  valuable  for  oil  or  for  their 
pelts.  The  fur  seal  increases  in  numbers  northward 
along  the  Pacific  coast;  it  is  unknown  in  the  vicinity  of 
San  Francisco,  but  is  occasionally  found  in  waters  along 
the  Oregon  coast,  and  in  myriads  in  Alaska :  the  fur  is 
very  valuable. 

The  large  gray  squirrel  and  gopher  seem  to  have 
complete  possession  of  the  whole  country.  They  both 
burrow  in  the  ground,  which  seems  to  be  alive  with 
them,  for  at  every  step  the  traveller  is  confronted  with 
heads  popping  up  and  down  in  rapid  succession,  %ith 
innumerable  pairs  of  little  round  eyes  staring  him  in 
the  face.  During  the  dry  season  the  valleys  and  hill- 
sides are  completely  honeycombed  with  these  nimble 
pests,  which  destroy  hundreds  of  thousands  of  bushels 
of  wheat  and  barley  annually.  The  large  gray  squirrel 
is  very  handsome,  is  almost  as  large  as  a  cat,  with  a 
large,  bushy  tail,  and  is  good  eating.  Hare,  rabbits, 
rats,  and  mice  are  abundant  and  in  great  variety. 


Elk  and  Deer. — ^The  California  elk  is  the  same  as 
the  Canadian  moose,  only  the  former  is  much  larger, 
with  large,  branching  horns  like  those  of  the  deer.  At 
one  period  elk  were  very  numerous,  but  are  now  found 
only  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  and  in  the  moun- 
tain ranges ;  they  are  very  plentiful  in  Oregon.  Deer 
are  still  numerous,  and  seem  to  abound  all  over  the 


ANIMALS,  BIRDS,  AND  FISHES. 


241 


State.    There  are   several  varieties:   the   mule-deer, 
black-tail,  antelope,  and  white-tail. 

In  many  parts  of  the  Sierras  is  found  the  mountain- 
sheep.  It  is  double  the  size  of  the  domestic  sheep ; 
the  body  is  covered  with  a  coarse  hair;  the  hdrns  are 
enormous,  heavy  and  curling.  It  is  said  that  when 
pursued,  it  will  leap  down  the  terrible  precipitous  walls 
of  the  Sierras,  landing  upon  its  head  and  horns  below ; 
and  thus,  bounding  from  cliff  to  cliff,  escape  its  pursuer. 
It  is  very  shy,  and  rarely  captured. 

BIRDS. 

The  "American  eagle"  is  not  only  found  in  every 
Fourth  of  July  oration  all  over  the  coast,  but  in  his 
■original  grandeur  among  the  crags  and  waterfalls  of 
the  Sierras  and  Coast  Range.  Geese,  swan,  and  ducks 
are  plentiful  in  spring  and  fall.  Swan  are  not  so  plen- 
tiful as  ducks  and  geese ;  they  are  very  numerous, 
however,  in  Oregon.  Geese  are  so  abundant  in  many 
parts  of  California  and  Oregon  that  they  destroy  vast 
fields  of  growing  grain,  and  hundreds  of  them  are  killed 
by  the  farmers  and  hunters  by  sticking  sharp-pointed 
stakes  in  the  grain-fields:  the  geese  descending  at 
night  cannot  see  these  sharp  perpendicular  poles,  and 
in  their  descent  strike  upon  them  and  are  pierced  and 
killed. 

Quail. — This  beautiful  bird,  a  species  of  the  grouse 

but  only  half  its  size,  is  found  in  great  quantities  all 

over  the  State ;  every  clump  of  bushes,  wheat-field  and 

vineyard  is  inhabited  by  them.     They  are  plump,  sweet 

and  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and  are  a  staple  article  of 

food.     They  are  protected  by  law  from  the  sportsman 
16 


242 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


during  the  spring  and  summer  months.  A  species  of 
grouse  is  found  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  and 
the  prairie-hen  in  the  ^treme  northeastern  portion. 

The  pigeon  and  dove  are  plentiful  throughout  Cali- 
fornia. The  gull,  robin,  sparrow,  swallow,  blackbird, 
and  the  familiar  crow  are  all  well  represented  in  Cali- 
fornia ;  and  the  sand-hill  crane  bathes  hit;  shrunk  shanks 
as  deliberately  in  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  as  does  his 
eastern  brother  in  the  waters  off  Cape  Cod  or  in  those 
of  the  Chesapeake.  Woodpeckers,  snake-killer,  cuckoo, 
fish-hawk;  chicken-hawk,  bat,  owl,  buzzard,  vulture, 
raven,  jay,  magpie,  king-fisher,  humming-bird,  tanager, 
tittark,  chat,  bluebird,  thrush,  wren,  oriole,  lark,  linnet, 
grosbeak,  bittern,  heron,  plover,  snipe,  curlew,  rail, brant, 
pelican,  petrel,  or  "Mother  Carey's  chickens,"  albatross, 
cormorant,  loon,  murre,  and  a  great  number  and  variety 
of  water,  land,  and  singing  birds,  make  up  the  rare  and 
large  variety  of  birds  inhabiting  California,  numbering 
more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  distinct  species. 


REPTILES. 

There  are  fewer  reptiles  in  California  than  in  any  of 
the  Atlantic  States;  the  long,  dry  sumipers  are  not 
congenial  to  their  species.  The  reptiles  of  California 
are  entirely  different  from  those  of  any  other  part  of 
the  world,  and  are  generally  smaller  than  those  of  the 
Eastern  States.  Snakes  are  rare ;  the  rattlesnake  is 
the  only  poisonous  one  known,  and  is  very  scarce.  In 
some  portions  of  the  State  the  scorpion  is  found,  but  is 
very  rare. 

One  of  the  most  poisonous  and  dread  reptiles  is  the 
tarantula ;  amputation  of  the  limb  often  being  necessary, 
after  the  bite  of  this  loathsome  creature.     It  is  of  the 


POISONOUS  AND   OTHER  REPTILES. 


243. 


spider  species,  sometimes  growing  to  the  size  of  a  frog ; 
the  body  is  covered  with  a  thinjbrown  hair,  and  its  spin- 
dling legs  project  three  to  four  inches  from  each  side. 
It  lives  in  a  little  house  made  in  the  side-hills  or  in  rocks, 
and  constructed  with  great  skill ;  a  door  to  its  home, 
which  hangs  upon  a  hinge  from  above,  fitting  so  closely 
that  it  can  scarcely  be  detected ;  there  are  little  holes 
through  this  door,  into  which  it  inserts  its  claws  to  open 
the  door,  or  holds  it  inside  if  attacked,  and  keeps  it 
secure.  It  has  a  mortal  enemy  in  a  species  of  large 
wasp.  This  wasp,  strange  to  say,  makes  the  body  of 
the  living  tarantula  the  place  of  deposit  for  its  eggs. 
The  tarantula  is  in  great  dread  of  these  wasps,  and  flees 
from  them,  locking  itself  in  its  secure  home  if  it  reaches 
it,  before  it  is  pierced  by  the  planter  of  the  female  wasp. 
The  eggs  of  the  wasp  being  ready  to  deposit,  the  female 
sails  abroad  in  search  of  a  tarantula ;  at  sight  she  vigor- 
ously attacks  it,  thrusting  her  eggs  into  its  body ;  if  the 
tarantula  is  not  killed  at  once,  it  only  finds  its  home 
with  the  seeds  of  death  in  it,  for  the  eggs  of  the  wasp 
soon  hatch  little  ones,  which  remain  in  the  flesh  of  the 
unfortunate  animal,  upon  which  they  feed  until  death 
relieves  it  of  its  terrible  consumers.  The  tarantula 
seldom  bites  man,  is  shy,  and  will  escape  upon  the 
approach  of  any  noise  or  the  presence  of  a  human 
being. 

There  are  great  numbers  and  varieties  of  lizards  in 
California,  varying  from  one  and  two  inches  to  a  foot 
in  length.  The  larger  species  are  found  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State;  none  of  them  are  poisonous  or  vicious. 
Frogs  and  toads  are  plentiful  throughout  the  State. 
The  "horned  toad"  '.  ihabits  the  southern  part  of  the 
State,  and  is  the  most  unsightly  thing  on  the  earth ;  it 


244 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


often  grows  to  a  length  of  seven  or  eight  Inches,  about 
three  inches  in  breadtb,  and  seems  to  be  .of  the  lizard 
species ;  two  horns,  from  about  an  inch  to  one  and 
a-half  inches  in  length,  grow  directly  where  the  horns 
grow  upon  a  cow;  it  has  a  tail  of  half  the  length  of  the 
body :  the  whole  body,  legs,  belly,  and  tail  to  its  very 
tip,  is  covered  with  thorny  scales,  ending  in  sharp, 
diamond-pointed  horns.  The  appearance  of  this  little 
animal  is  not  calculated  to  make  it  many  friends  or 
admirers,  yet  it  is  perfectly  harmless. 

Bees. — The  native  bees  of  Carfornia  are  very  numer- 
ous in  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  living  in  hollow 
trees  where  they  deposit  great  quantities  of  honey. 
The  domestic  bee  thrives  all  through  the  State  and  in 
Oregon,  making  honey  from  the  fir  trees  and  flowers 
of  the  country. 

Wasps,  mosquitos,  and  flies  are  plentiful,  and  Cali- 
fornia may  not  only  be  called  the  land  of  gold  but  also 
the  land  of  the  flea :  here  this  pest  of  the  human  race 
attains  a  size,  agility,  and  perseverance  worthy  of  a 
better  cause  than  that  of  its  occupation.  Grasshoppers 
are  numerous,  but  generally  not  destructive;  occasion- 
ally myriads  of  them  in  some  seasons  will  pass  over  a 
section  of  country,  completely  destroying  every  thing 
green,  blocking  up  roads,  filling  wells,  springs,  and  , 
houses,  from  which  they  drive  the  inhabitants.  On 
the  plains,  they  so  swarm  on  the,  railroads  that  they 
stop  the  trains,  their  bruised  bodies  so  greasing  the 
rails  that  sand  has  to  be  used  to  counteract  their  eflect. 

FISH. 

California  is  well  supplied  with  a  great  variety  of  fish, 
from  the  sperm-whale  to  the  shrimp.    There  are  over 


III/'  -"..ffi;-^ 


i 


FISHES  OF  THE   PACIFIC. 


245 


two  hundred 'varieties  of  fish  in  the  ocean,  bays,  rivers, 
and  lakes  of  the  State,  many  of  them  entirely  unknown 
elsewhere.  Shell-fish  are  abundant,  and  the  variety 
very  great.  Oysters  are  scarce  and  small,  mussels  and 
clams  plenty.  Crabs  are  of  great  size,  some  species 
being  more  than  a  foot  in  width,  and  are  an  article  of 
common  table  food.  The  "mother-of-pearl  oyster"  is 
found  in  the  bays  on  the  lower  coast  and  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  squid  grows  to  a  great  size  on  the  coast, 
some  being  more  than  three  feet  in  length,  with  arms  in 
some  cases  over  seven  feet  long.  Shrimp,  the  counter- 
part of  a  young  lobster,  swarm  in  myriads  in  the  bays; 
they  are  about  the  size  of  an  overgrown  grasshopper; 
they  have  a  thin,  tough  shell  like  a  lobster;  in  the  res- 
taurants and  hotels  they  are  a  common  article  of  food, 
and  art'  much  liked  by  many.  Lobsters  are  plentiful, 
and  grow  to  a  great  size,  in  some  instances  measuring 
a  foot  and  a-half  in  length:  strange  to  say,  none  of  them 
have  the  large  claws  of  the  Atlantic  lobster. 


;■"  'r 


Whale. — The  Pacific  ocean,  from  Behring's  strait 
southward  to  the  coast  of  California,  is  the  great  whale- 
ground  of  the  world.  Fleets  of  vessels  are  yearly  en- 
gaged in  tlie  whale  fishery,  making  Honolulu  their  head- 
quarters. Few  whales  are  caught  upon  the  coast  of 
California,  although  hundreds  of  them  can  be  seen  blovv- 
ing  and  spouting  along  the  entire  coast,  from  Panama 
to  the  Columbia  river;  occasionally  one  of  these  mon- 
sters of  the  deep  finds  liimself  inside  the  Golden  Gate, 
where  his  dashing  about  like  a  goldfish  in  a  globe  and 
his  spouting  attracts  the  boatmen,  who  give  him  lively 
chase.     Ac  other  times  a   "northwester"  dashes  one 


246 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


upon  the  beach,  where  he  lies  stranded  like  some  "gal- 
lant ship;"  upon  such  occasions,  "whale"  is  in  the  mouth 
of  everybody.  The  fortunate  finder  of  a  stranded 
whale  generally  "locates"  a  "claim"  upon  him,  erects  a 
wall  around  him,  and  collects  an  admission  fee  from  the 
curious  who  desire  to  see  a  "big  fish."  In  the  Bay  of 
Monterey,  and  at  other  points  along  the  southern  coast, 
a  small  species  of  whale  is  caught,  and  considerable 
quantities  of  oil  are  made. 

There  is  but  one  species  of  fish  in  California  which 
in  quantity  and  rich  flavor  surpasses  the  species  of  the 
Atlantic  ocean:  that  is  the  salmon,  so  abundant  in  all 
the  principal  streams  of  the  coast,  from  the  Golden 
Gate  to  Behring's  strait.  About  November,  they  enter 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco;  and  from  that  period  until 
they  again  seek  the  ocean,  in  June  following,  they  are 
caught  in  great  numbers  in  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  rivers  and  all  the  rivers  north.  They  are  a 
staple  article  of  food,  and  can  be  found  in  good  supply 
fresh  in  the  markets  every  day  in  the  year.  Some  of 
them  are  of  great  size,  weighing  as  high  as  sixty  pounds ; 
but  the  general  weight  is  from  twenty-five  to  thirty 
pounds. 

Sturgeon  are  abundant  in  the  bays  and  rivers,  but 
are  coarse,  cheap,  and  generally  not  much  liked  as  food. 
Trout  are  plentiful  in  most  of  the  lakes  and  streams  of 
the  State,  but  are  neither  so  beautiful  nor  sweet  as  the 
Ariantic  trout.  All  the  fish  on  the  coast  except  the 
salmon,  smelt,  and  trout  are  long,  coarse,  poor,  and 
tasteless,  compared  with  the  same  species  on  the  Atlan- 
tic coast.  A  small,  poor  quality  of  mackerel  is  caught 
in  and  about  Monterey  bay.     A  small  but  very  good 


FISHES   OF   THE  PACIFIC, 


247 


quality  of  herring  is  very  abundant,  and  is  caught  in 
great  quantities  in  spring  in  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  along  the  coast.  The  real  cod  is  not  found  on  the 
coast  of  California,  but  is  abundant,  although  of  a  small 
class,  on  the  coast  of  British  Columbia  and  Alaska. 
Rock-cod,  a  very  bony  fish,  is  plentiful;  also  tomcods, 
smelts,  and  soles  or  flatfish.  The  eel  is  not  found  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  although  several  species  resembling  it, 
called  eels,  are  to  be  found,  but  all  inferior. 

Besides  those  mentioned,  there  are  a  great  many 
other  kinds  of  fish  in  California,  the  market  being  sup- 
plied every  day  in  the  year  with  great  abundance  and 
variety;  the  prices  are  very  low. 


-'X. 


■PPP" 


248 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  precious  metals — First  mention  of  gold — Gold  in  Eden — Gods 
of  the  heathens — Aaron's  golden  calf — Ornaments  of  Jerusalem — 
Gold  of  the  Romans — First  gold  in  America — Gold  in  South 
America  and  Mexico — Gold  in  Asia  and  Europe — Gold-mining 
in  the  United  States — Discovery  of  gold  in  California — Sir 
Francis  Drake's  voyage — Expedition  of  Commodore  Wilkes  to 
California — Product  of  gold — Mining  operations — Quartz  and 
quartz-mining — Rich  mines — Quartz  mills — Discovery  of  gold  in 
Australia :  yield  of  the  precious  metals  in — On  the  Pacific  coast 
— Mineral  wealth  of  Great  Britain  —  Progress  of  mining  in 
Australia — Chinese  in  the  gold-fields — Precious  metal  in  the 
world. 

In  the  chapters  of  this  volume  treating  upon  the 
early  gold  discovery,  geology,  counties,  &c.,  will  be 
found  much  information  respecting  mining  in  California. 
(See  these  chapters.) 

The  discovery  of  gold  brought  California  prominently 
before  the  world.  Had  it  not  been  for  that  event,  more 
than  likely  San  Francisco  would  be  to-day  an  obscure 
outpost  upon  our  western  coast;  Oregon  would  still 
be  a  Territory,  Alaska  still  under  the  imperial  flag  of 
the  Czar,  and  the  great  valleys  of  California  untilled. 

From  the  earliest  period  of  which  we  have  any 
knowledge,  the  precious  metals  have  been  sought  for 
by  all  nations  and  classes,  and  the  effects  of  their 
influence  understood  and  appreciated.  The  earliept 
records  of  the  human  family  make  mention  of  gold, 
and  the  kings,  priests,  and  prophets  of  ancient  times 
seem  to  have  fully  understood  its  value.  Abraham's 
riches,  as  mentioned  in  Genesis  xiii,  2,  are  said  to  have 
consisted  of  cattle,  silver,  and  gold  Even  the  Garden 
of  Eden  is  supposed  to  have  contained  the  precious 
metals.    In  Genesis  ii,  11,  12,  gold  is  spoken  of  simul- 


GOLD  AND  ITS  HISTORY. 


249 


taneously  with  the  creation,  and  as  existing  in  the  land 
of  Havilah,  which  was  encompassed  by  the  first  river 
running  from  the  Garden  of  Eden. 

Gold  formed  the  gods  and  idols  of  the  ancients ;  and 
Aaron  formed  a  calf  of  gold  for  the  children  of  Israel, 
but  Moses  reduced  it  to  powder  by  burning  it  in  a  fire. 
Solomon  employed  gold  in  great  abundance  in  orna- 
menting the  temple  of  Jerusalem. 

South  America  early  produced  her  share  of  gold. 
Atahuallpa,  the  Inca  of  Peru,  offered  gold  to  the  value 
of  5^15,480,710  for  his  ransom  when  a  captive  of  war. 
The  land  of  Ophir  (the  location  of  which  is  still  a  mys- 
tery) supplied  the  Phoenicians  and  Israelites  with  gold ; 
once  in  three  years  the  ships  of  King  Sojomon  com- 
pleted a  voyage  there  and  back.  The  Pyrenees  and 
Alps  supplied  the  Romans  with  much  of  their  gold. 
Spain  obtained  her  supply  of  the  precious  metals  along 
the  Tagus ;  and  the  Athenians  obtained  gold  in  Thessaly 
and  the  island  of  Thasos. 

At  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  America,  in  1492,  tlie 
total  value  of  the  precious  metals  in  the  whole  of  Europe 
was  estimated  at  one  hundred  and  seventy  million  dol- 
lars. In  the  year  1 600,  it  had  increased  to  six  hundred 
and  fifty  million  dollars — an  increase  of  four- fold  in  a 
century.  So,  in  a  corresponding  degree,  the  value  of 
gold  decreased,  in  the  fact  that  every  commodity  of 
merchandise  had  advanced  four-fold  in  this  period,  and 
a  corresponding  increase  in  every  article  of  consump- 
tion keeps  pace  with  the  increase  of  the  precious 
metals. 

The  total  amount  of  the  precious  metals  iii  circula- 
tion throughout  the  world,  in  1872,  is  estimated  at  four 


250 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


billion  dollars.  Of  this  amount  California  has,  since 
1848,  contributed  one  billion  dollars,  and  Australia, 
since  1 851,  an  additional  billion  dollars.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  California  and  Australia,  in  the  brief  period 
of  twenty  years,  have  contributed  to  the  world  one-half 
of  its  gold. 

•  In  estimating  the  wealth  of  nations  and  the  value  ©f 
products,  it  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that,  while 
mines  of  gold  and  silver  become  exhausted,  the  metals 
produced  do  not,  but,  unlike  the  produdt  of  shop  and 
field,  which  becomes  extinct  on  U5,e,  the  precious  metals 
retain  their  value  for  ages. 

From  1492  to  1500,  about  fifty-two  thousand  pounds 
sterling  in  gold  went  annually  from  the  American  conti- 
nent to  Europe.  Up  to  1 5 1 9,  of  the  precious  metals 
gold  only  was  found  in  America. 

With  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  in  1521,  and  the  dis- 
covery of  the  rich  silver  mines  of  Potosi,  in  1545,  a 
large  supply  of  silver  found  its  way  from  America  to 
England.  In  the  reign  of  James  VI,  gold  was  mined 
in  the  slate  rocks  of  Leadhills,  Scotland ;  and  near  the 
close  of  the  last  century  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  gold 
was  collected  in  two  months,  m  the  county  of  Wicklow, 
Ireland.  At  Cornwall,  Devonshire,  in  Wales,  and  other 
parts  of  Great  Britain,  gold  has  been  mined  for,  but 
never  profitably. 

In  almost  all  the  mountains  and  streams  of  Europe 
and  Asia  gold  has  been  discovered  in  less  or  greater 
quantities,  on  the  Rhine,  Rhone,  Reuss,  Danube,  and 
Aar,  in  the  Alps,  and  Siberia.  Up  to  the  date  of  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  Russia  was  the  greatest 
gold-producing  country  in  the  world.     Croesus  is  sup- 


in  th( 
the 


nouno 

Reed 

his  su 

thorou 

covere 

weighe 

In  183: 


COLD  AND  ITS  HISTORY. 


251 


posed  to  have  obtained  his  j^old  in  the  sands  of  the 
River  Pactolus,  in  Asia  Minor. 

The  gold  product  of  Borneo  is  supposed  to  be  about 
five  million  dollars  per  annum. 

Gold  has  been  obtained  in  Japan  from  time  imme- 
morial. During  the  sixty  years  that  the  Dutcl^traded 
with  that  country,  they  are  supposed  to  have  carried 
away  in  trade  over  forty  million  dollars  in  gold. 

The  whole  region  of  South  and  Central  America  and 
Mexico  is  rich  in  gold  and  silver.  The  heathens  of  the 
Isthmus  of  Pan;  :11a  of  past  centuries  made  their  gods  of 
gold,  and  interred  them  in  the  graves  of  their  dead.  A 
few  years  since,  mining  ior  gods  was  a  profitable  employ- 
ment in  New  Grenada. 

Gold-mining  in  the  United  States  is  comparatively  of 
a  recent  date ;  the  first  discovery  being  made  in  North 
Carolina,  in  1 799,  in  Meadow  creek,  a  small  stream  in 
Cabarrus  county.  It  was  discovered  by  a  boy  named 
Conrad  Reed,  who,  on  a  Sunday,  was  sporting  and  catch- 
ing fish  in  the  stream.  He  saw  a  yellow  lump  of  metal 
in  the  water  and  carried  it  home ;  his  father  took  it  to 
the  village  silversmith  at  Concord,  but  he  was  unable  to 
tell  what  it  was.  For  three  years  the  lump,  which  was 
about  the  size  of  a  small  smoothing-iron,  was  used  as  a 
weight  against  the  door;  when,  in  1802,  the  old  man 
Reed  carried  it  to  Fayetteville :  there  a  jeweller  pro- 
nounced it  gold,  melted  it  into  a  bar,  and  paid  Mr. 
Reed  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  it,  much  to 
his  surprise  and  delight.  Meadow  creek  was  soon 
thoroughly  explored,  when  considerable  gold  was  dis- 
covered. In  1803,  one  piece  found  in  that  stream 
weighed  twenty-eight  pounds,  another  sixteen  pounds. 
In  1 83 1,  a  rich  quartz  vein  was  discovered  in  the  vicinity 


I 


252 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  Meadow  creek,  and,  from  this  period,  mining  for  gold 
was  pushed  with  interest  in  North  Carolina. 

Previous  to  1825,  but  little  gold  was  found  in  the 
United  States;  some  small  quantities  were  found  in 
Alabama,  and  between  the  Coosa  and  Potomac.  In 
1825,  a  gold-bearing  quartz  lead  was  discovered  by  a 
Mr.  Balrringer,  at  Montgomery,  North  Carolina.  Soon 
after  this,  gold-bearing  quartz  was  discovered  in  Vir- 
ginia, Georgia,  and  South  Carolina ;  and  gold  in  small 
quantities  was  obtained  from  many  rivers  in  these  States. 

In  1824,  the  first  native  gold  appeared  in  the  United 
States  mint  at  Philadelphia.  The  supply  increased 
considerably  for  a  few  years.  Up  to  1827,  North  Caro- 
lina was  the  chief  gold-producing  State  in  the  Union.     • 

The  entire  product  of  gold  of  the  five  Southern 
States,  from  1828  to  1872,  is  estimated  to  have  been 
forty  million  dollars,  as  follows:  North  Carolina,  eighteen 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars;  Georgia,  fourteen 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars;  Virginia,  three 
million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars ;  South  Carolina, 
three  million  dollars ;  Alabama,  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  In  1829,  the  first  mint  deposit  of  gold  from 
South  Carolina — thirty-five  hundred  dollars — was  made; 
in  the  same  year,  Virginia  deposited  twenty-five  hundred 
dollars;  and,  in  1830,  Georgia  deposited  two  hundred 
and  twelve  thousand  dollars. 

The  increase  of  gold  from  the  Southern  States  was 
so  great  that,  in  1837,  a  United  States  mint  was  estab- 
lished at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  and  another  at 
Dahlonega,  Georgia.  It  is  estimated  that  the  Southern 
States  yielded  an  average  of  one  million  dollars  in  gold 
annually,  from  1808  up  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  in  1848.     Gold  In  these  regions  was  gener- 


^Mt'- 


GOLD  AND  ITS  HISTORY. 


253 


•  Orold 
<3 


n  the 
nd  in 
c.     In 
1  by  a 
Soon 
n  Vvc- 
\  small 
States. 
United 
:reased 
b  Caro- 
Jnion.     • 
Duthern 
JO.  been 
ighteen 
burteen 
a,  three 
'arolina, 
1011  sand 
(Id  from 
IS  made; 
lundred 
undred 

ttes  was 
IS  estab- 
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Jouthern 
in  gold 
gold  in 
gener- 


ally obtained  from  decomposed  quartz  and  from  slate 
rock  of  such  a  poor  quality  that  it  seldom  paid  for  work- 
ing ;  and  of  late  years  the  yield  has  greatly  fallen  off, 
it  having  been  for  the  last  twenty  years  less  than  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum.  Gold  has  been 
discovered  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  New  Hampshire, 
and  Vermont,  but  not  in  quantities  to  justify  working. 

In  many  parts  of  Canada  gold  has  been  found  in 
small  quantities;  and,  in  i860,  free  gold  in  well-defined 
quartz  ledges  was  discovered  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  Nova  Scotia-;  these  mines  are  still  profitably  worked. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  in  1848,  and  in 
Australia  in  1851,  introduced  a  new  era  in  the  produc- 
tion of  the  precious  metals.  Gold  is  known  to  have 
been  discovered  in  Australia  as  early  as  1839,  by  Count 
Strazelecki,  who,  in  September  of  the  following  year, 
informed  the  lieutenant-governor  of  the  colony  of  his 
discovery.  In  1841,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clark  announced  that 
he  had  discovered  gold  in  Australia;  and,  from  the 
year  1843  ^^  1847,  Sir  Roderick  I.  Murchison  rep  .atedly 
urged  the  exploration  of  Australia  for  the  precious 
metals.  In  February,  1851,  a  Mr.  Hargrove,  who  had 
been  in  California,  found  gold  in  Australia,  and  in  April 
following  s.nnounced  his  discovery,  which  led  to  the 
finding  of  the  vast  gold-fields  of  that  region,  so  rich  and 
so  profitably  worked  up  to  the  present  period,  with 
prospects  of  inexhaustible  supply. 

GOLD  IN   CALIFORNIA. 

The  first  mention  of  gold  in  California  is  found  in  a 
small  volume  of  romance  published  in  Spain  in  15 10 — 
seventy  years  before  the  arrival  of  Sir  Francis  Drake 
in  California.     The  book   is  entitled  ''The  Sergas  of 


254 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Esplandian,  the  son  of  Amadis  of  Gaul."  (See  Chapter 
XIII  of  this  volume.)  *  In  this  romance  the  following 
passage  occurs:  "The  island  was  the  strongest  in  the 
world,  from  its  steep  rocks  and  great  cliffs.  .  Their 
arms  [the  natives']  were  all  of  gold,  and  so  were  the 
caparisons  of  the  wild  beasts  they  rode." 

The  next  mention  of  gold  in  California  is  found  in 
Hukluyt's  account  of  Sir  Francis  Drake's  voyage  to 
California  in  the  summer  of  1579.  In  this  account  a 
paragraph  reads :  "  There  is  no  part  of  the  earth  here 
to  be  taken  up  wherein  there  is  not  a  reasonable  quan- 
tity of  gold  or  silver."  This  statement  of  Hukluyt  is  a 
pure  fiction,  like  the  account  of  the  Spanish  novelist  of 
1 5 10,  and  was  only  intended  to  lend  a  charm  o  the 
distant  land  of  California.  Most  of  Californians  well 
know  that  there  is  not  a  shovelful  of  earth  in  the  vicinity 
of  Drake's  bay,  or  any  portion  of  the  coast  wherein  the 
English  buccaneer  spent  the  six  weeks  In  1579,  in 
which  there  is  "  a  reasonable  quantity  of  gold  or  silver," 
so  far  as  known,  nor  has  either  of  these  metals  been 
discovered  in  any  quantity  up  to  the  present  time 
within  the  radius  of  one  hundred  miles  of  Drake's 
bay,  in  Marin  county. 

Placer  gold  in  small  quantities  had  been  discovered 
in  Calitornia  at  various  times  between  the  years  1775 
and  1828,  near  the  Colorado  in  the  southern  part  of 
California;  in  1802,  a  vein  of' mineral  supposed  to  con- 
tain gold  was  discovered  at  Olizal,  in  Monterey  county; 
and,  in  1828,  small  particles  of  placer  gold  were  dis- 
cov'ei'ed  at  San  Isdro,  in  San  Diego  county;  but  none 
of  these  indications  of  the  precious  metals  were  suffi- 
cient to  attract  public  attention,  or  to  warrant  the  belief 
that  gold  existed  in  paying  quantities  in  the  country. 


--  -^ 


GOLD  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


255 


Alexander  Forbes,  the  British  consul  at  Monterey,  in 
writing  a  history  of  California  in  1835,  says:  "No  min- 
erals of  particular  importance  have  yet  been  found  in 
Upper  California,  nor  any  ores  of  minerals."  In  1838, 
at  San  Francisquito,  about  forty-five  miles  northwest 
from  Los  Angeles,  placer  gold  was  discovered  in  small 
quantities ;  these  mines  were  worked  steadily  for  many 
years  with  considerable  profit. 

James  D.  Dana,  who  accompanied  the  expedition  of 
Commodore  Wilkes  as  mineralogist  to  the  coast  of 
California  in  1841,  and  who  made  a  trip  from  the 
Columbia  river,  overland  through  Oregon  and  by  the 
Sacramento  valley,  to  San  Francisco,  in  his  official  report 
to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  mentioned  that 
gold  had  been  found  in  the  Sacramento  valley  and  in 
Southern  Oregon;  but  Dana  did  not  seem  to  be  much 
interested  in  the  discovery,  nor  to  consider  it  of  any 
importance. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1 846,  Thomas  O.  Larkin,  United 
States  consul  at  Monterey,  in  an  official  correspondence 
with  James  Buchanan,  the  Secretary  of  State,  said: 
"There  is  no  doubt  but  gold,  silver,  quicksilver,  copper, 
lead,  sulphur,  and  coal  mines  are  to  be  found  all  over 
California;  and  it  is  equally  doubtful  whether,  under 
their  present  owners,  they  will  ever  be  worked."  On 
the  7th  of  July  following — sixty-six  days  after  the  date 
of  this  communication- — the  stars  and  stripes  floated 
over  Monterey,  and  California  was  a  part  of  the  Ameri- 
can republic. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1848,  ten  days  before  the 
signing  of  the  treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  James  W. 
Marshall  discovered  gold  at  Coloma,  on  the  American 
river,  as  has  been  described  in  a  preceding  chapter. 


:^;^ 


256 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


On  the  15th  of  March  following,  the  first   printed 

notice  of  the  discovery  was  made  in  the  Cali/orndan, 

published  at  San  Francisco,  as  follows: 

"  In  the  newly  made  race-way  of  the  saw-mill  recently  erected 
by  Captain  Sutter,  on  the  American  fork,  gold  has  been  found  in 
considerable  quantities.  One  person  brought  thirty  dollars  to  New 
Helvetia,  gathered  there  in  a  short  time." 

The  same  paper.  May  29,  1848,  announced  that  its 

publication  would  be  suspended,  as  follows: 

"The  whole  country,  from  San  Francisco  to  Los  Angeles,  and 
from  the  sea-shore  to  the  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  resounds  with 
the  sordid  cry  of  gold-i  gold !  gold!  while  the  field  is  left  half 
planted,  the  house  half  built,  and  every  thing  neglected  but  the 
manufacture  of  picks  and  shovels  and  the  means  of  transportation 
to  the  spot  where  one  man  obtained  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight 
dollars  worth  of  the  real  stuff  in  one  day's  washing,  and  the  average 
for  al'  concerned  is  twenty  dollars  per  diem." 

From  1848  to  the  present  period,  the  gold  mines  of 
California  have  been  worked  most  successfully;  not  al- 
ways certainly  with  profit  to  those  engaged,  but  in  the 
aggregate  producing  almost  one  billion  dollars.  The 
following  table  will  show  the  annual  product  for  the  last 
twenty-four  years: 


1848,  .  .  •  .    $10,000,000 

1849, 40,000,000 

1850, 50,000,000 

1851, 55,000,000 

1852, 60,000,000 

1853, 65,000,000 

1854, 60,000,000 

1855, 55,000,000 

1856, '55,000,000 

1857, 55,000,000 

1858, 50,000,000 

1859, 50,000,000 

i860, 45,000,000 


1861,  ....  1^40,000,000 

1862, 34,700,000 

1863,  .  .  .  ^.  .  30,000,000 

1864, 26,600,000 

1865, 28,500,000 

1866, 26,500,000 

1867, 25,000,000 

1868, 25,000,000 

1869, 25,000,000 

1870, 25,000,000 

1871, 25,000,000 


Total,  ,  .  $961,000,000 


It 

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most 

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outla^ 

Th 

g-onS 

of  the 

east,  f 

»  Severn 

the  Si( 

in  Cali 

in  the  , 

— the 

Within 

virgin 

summii 

the  rici 

ridges, 

Durii 

covery 

chiefly 

river 

swarm( 

trated 

with  pi 

wing-di 

hills,  he 

niost  of 

From  tl 

producel 
17 


..^ 


GOLD  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


257 


It  will  be  observed  that  the  decrease  has  been  steadily 
going  on  since  1853:  this  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  about 
that  period  the  rich  placers  and  river  beds  were  vigor- 
ously worked,  and  that  a  few  years  after  this  period 
most  of  this  class  of  mines  were  worked  out,  and  quartz, 
cement,  and  bank  diggings  had  to  be  operated  at  a  great 
outlay  and  often  with  but  indifferent  results. 

The  mineral  belt  in  California  extends  from  the  Ore- 
gon State  line,  on  the  north,  southward  the  entire  length 
of  the  State,  and  to  the  summit  of  the  Sierras  on  the 
east,  from  which  it  extends  a  distance  of  from  fifty  to 
seventy-five  miles  west,  embracing  the  western  slope  of 
the  Sierras.  This  district  embraces  all  the  Sierra  range 
in  California,  with  the  heads  of  all  the  important  rivers 
in  the  State  and  the  foot-hills  and  gulches  of  the  Sierras 
— the  richest  gold-bearing  region  ever  ,  discovered. 
Within  this  wide  range  gold  has  been  found  in  its 
virgin  state  on  the  sides  and  ravines  of  grassy  hills,  the 
summits  of  high  table-lands,  sandy  and  gravelly  flats, 
the  rich  loam  soil  of  the  gardens  and  wheat-fields,  the 
ridges,  sand-bars,  and  beds  of  living  and  ancient  rivers. 

During  the  fitst  five  or  six  years  after  the  gold  dis- 
covery in  California,  the  efforts  of  the  miners  were 
chiefly  directed  to  mining  in  the  gulches,  streams,  and 
river  beds;  and  every  available  spot  of  this  class 
swarmed  with  thousands  of  gold-seekers,  who  pene- 
trated every  nook  and  corner  in  this  wide  range,  and 
with  prospecting-pan,  shovel,  and  rocker,  tom,  sluice, 
wing-damming  the  rivers,  sluicing  the  flats  and  side- 
hills,  have  discovered  and  pretty  thoroughly  worked 
most  of  the  accessible  surface-diggings  in  the  State. 
From  this  period,  (1853,)  the  time  at  which  the  mines 

produced  the  largest  annual  yield,  the  decline  in  this 
17 


-I 


mmmmnm 


25^ 


TJ/£   GOLDEN  STATE. 


branch  of  mining  has  been  steady;  until,  at  the  present 
time,  there  is  but  little  surface-mining  in  the  State,  ex- 
cept that  done  by  Chinese,  who,  unskilled  in  the  deeper 
and  more  complicated  mining  of  to-day,  seek  the  aban- 
doned placer  mines  of  the  whites  or  such  new  fields  as 
would  not  pay  white  labor,  and,  by  a  system  of  frugality, 
industry,  and  sobriety  known  only  to  this  patient  race, 
obtain  large  sums  from  this  class  of  mines — seventy- 
five  cents,  one  dollar,  and  one  dollar  and  a-half  per  day 
being  considered  good  wages. 

With  a  decline  in  placer-mining  came  a  decline  in 
wages.  In  the  flush^times  of  '49,  an  ounce  in  gbld  (six- 
teen dollars)  per  day  v;as  a  miner's  wages  ;  in  1852,  it 
had  fallen  to  eight  dollars;  and,  in  1853,  to  five  dollars; 
since  which  time  it  has  steadily  declined  until  the 
present,  when  two  to  three  dollars  are  the  wages.  In 
all  these  cases,  the  miner  finds  himself  in  board,  lodg- 
ing, &c. ;  he  also  often  finds  it  most  difficult  to  obtain 
employment  even  at  those  rates. 

Placer-mining  is  not  entirely  ended  in  California,  but 
all  ground  that  would  pay  the  primitive  methods  of 
mining  during  the  first  few  years  after  the  discovery  of 
gold  is  worked ;  the  individual  can  no  longer  with 
crevice-knife,  shovel,  tom,  or  pan  hope  for  rewards  in 
any  part  of  the  State.  These  primitive  implements,  the 
long  lines  of  sluices,  the  temporary  ditches,  winding 
their  serpentine  course  along  rugged  hills  and  spanning 
deep  gulches,  ridges,  and  piles  of  gravel,  wing-dams, 
water-wheels,  saw-mills,  tumble-down  shanties,  aban- 
doned villages,  and  general  debn3  of  the  early  gold- 
hunter's  home,  all  proclaim  in  mute  but  solemn  and 
fast  increasing  eloquence  the  decline  of  that  period  in 
our  history  when  the  monthly  and  semi-monthly  steam- 


EMIGRANT   TRAIN — GOLD    HUNTKRS    1 849 


CHINESE.  GOLD    MINING    IN    CAMFOKNIA. 


ers  d( 

Franc 

marcl 

adver 

quart 

romai 

sharp 

groan 

wicke 

ant  to 

nious 

poppi 

the  cl: 

the  cli 

of  the 

On 

tentioi 

from 

the  St 

resour 

At 
appliai 
ing;  t 
sluice 
the  hy 
and  m 
the  olc 
Vast  p 
which  : 
floury 
water, 
flumes 
being  1 


GOLD  AND    GOLD-MINING. 


259 


ers  deposited  their  thousands  of  gold-seekers  in  San 
Francisco,  when  the  "prairie  schooner"  toiled  its  weary- 
march  over  the  inhospitable  plains,  and  a  population  of 
adventurous,  bold,  impetuous  men,  drawn  from  all 
quarters  of  the  globe,  entered  upon  that  terribly  wild, 
romantic  drama,  half  comic,  half  tragic,  wherein  the 
sharp  report  of  the  pistol,  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded, 
groans  of  the  dying  and  disappointed,  blasphemy  of  the 
wicked,  bacchanalian  revelries  of  thfe  drunkard,  discord- 
ant tones  of  the  hurdy-gurdy  and  ballet  girl,  inharmo- 
nious squeak  of  the  rude  violin  of  the  fandango,  the 
popping  of  bottle  corks,  the  shuffling  of  tumblers  and 
the  clink  of  gold  on  the  gambling  table,  kept  time  to 
the  click  of  the  pick,  shovel,  prospecting-pan,  and  rocker 
of  the  btisy  miner. 

On  the  decline  of  placer-mining  in  California  the  at- 
tention of  thousands  was  turned  to  other  pursuits,  and 
from  that  period  dates  the  permanent  prosperity  of 
the  State  and  the  development  of  the  vast  and  varied 
resources  of  the  soil. 

At  each  stage,  as  the  nature  of  the  mines  changed, 
appliances  and  machinery  were  adapted  to  their  work- 
ing ;  the  pan  gave  way  to  the  rocker,  the  rocker  to  the 
sluice  and  shovel,  and  finally  to  the  use  of  powder  and 
the  hydraulic,  which  powerful  agents  levelled  the  hills 
and  made  mining  possible  and  profitable,  when  under 
the  old  system  it  was  both  impossible  and  unprofitable. 
Vast  portions  of  the  gulches  and  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras  . 
which  are  impregnated  with  gold,  either  in  particles  of 
floury  fineness,  scaly  or  coarse,  are  now  worked  by 
water,  carried  often  a  great  distance  in  ditches  and 
flumes;  the  object  in  carrying  the  water  in  these  flumes 
being  to  get  the  elevation  as  great  as  possible  above 


26o 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  ground  to  be  sluiced.     The  process  of  washing  is 
done  by  attaching  a  strong  canvas  or  leather  hose  with 
a  nozzle  of  two  or  more  inches  in  diameter,  vvhen  the 
water  is  played  upon  the  face  of  the  bank  from  numer- 
ous streams,  as  firemen  play  upon  a  burning  building, 
so  handling  the  hose  and  nozzle  as  to  undermine  the 
hills  or  mountains:  these  operations  often  cause  the 
banks  to  cave  in  in  immense  masses,  often  with  fatal 
result  to  the   inexperienced.      Sometimes  where   the 
mountain  is  great  or  the  ground  hard,  drifts  are  pierced 
into  its  sides,  into  which  great  quantities  of  powder  are 
placed;  when  this  "mine"  is  exploded,  a  deep  sound 
like  the  rumbling  of  an  earthquake  is  heard,  and  for 
miles  around  the  shock  caused  by  the  explosion  is  felt; 
the  hill  is  shivered  to  atoms,  and  the  earth  and  bould- 
ers are  so  loose  that  the  water  from  the  hose  soon 
washes  them*down.     Sluice-boxes  are  so  arranged  at 
,  the  foot  of  the  hill  th-'t  all  the  earth  and  gravel  pass 
through  them  in  the  flood  of  escaping  water.     In  riffles 
and  false  bottoms  in  these  sluices  are  placed  deposits 
of  quicksilver;  the  fine  particles  of  gold  being  heavier 
than  sand  find  the  bottom  of  the  sluice,  and  on  their 
passage  down  in  the  water  are  caught  by  the  quicksil- 
ver, where  they  are  held  in  amalgam  until  the  miner 
finally — once  a  week  or  once  in  several  months — cleans 
out  his  sluices,  takes  out  the  gold  and  quicksilver,  which 
is  in  a  soft  mass  of  about  the  consistency  of  dough. 
The  gold,  being  all  coated  with  the  quicksilver,  is  put 
into  a  retort  or  close  iron  vessel  and  placed  in  a  hot 
fire;  the  quicksilver,  escaping  through  a  tube,  falls  into 
a  dish,  is  caught  and  saved  for  future  use;  the  gold,  in 
a  solid  lump,  free  from  quicksilver,  is  now  taken  from 
the  retort  and  ready  for  the  market  or  mint. 


COLD  AND   GOLD-MINING. 


261 


Another  branch  of  mining  is  the  working  of  quartz. 
Lodes  of  great  richness  have  been  discovered  in  many 
parts  of  the  State,  and  have  been  worked  for  many 
years.  The  first  quartz-mining  in  California  was  soon 
after  the  discovery  of  gold,  and  was  conducted  by 
Mexicans,  who  had  had  experience  in  this  branch  in 
the  mines  of  Mexico.  The  process  was  crude,  either 
pounding  the  quartz  in  mortars  or  grinding  it  in  rude 
arrastars  worked  by  a  single  mule;  but  as  they  worked 
only  rich  ores,  they  generally  succeeded  in  making 
them  pay. 

As  early  as  1850,  quartz-mining  was  commenced  at 
Grass  valley,  in  Nevada  county,  and  soon  at  other  points 
in  the  State;  but,  from  ignorance  and  imperfect  ma- 
chinery, the  first  five  or  six  years  of  this  branch  of 
mining  was  a  failure,  often  entailing  serious  loss  upon 
all  concerned.  By  degrees,  experience,  cheapness  of 
labor,  and  improved  machinery  gave  a  new  impetus  to 
this  branch  of  industry,  which  is  fast  on  the  increase  in 
the  State.  Throughout  the  length  of  the  Sierras  for 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  from  the  sum- 
mit of  that  range  for  a  distance  of  from  thirty  to  fifty 
miles  along  its  western  slope,  quartz  ledges,  generally 
incased  in  granite,  are  found;  some  of  great  size  and 
richness,  others  most  seductive  and  ruinous  to  all  en- 
gaged in  them. 

The  chief  quartz -mining  districts  of  California  are 
situated  in  Tuolumne  county  near  Sonora,  and  James- 
town near  Mariposa  in  Mariposa  county;  about  Clear 
creek,  Tulare  county;  Angels,  Calaveras  county;  Jack- 
son, Amadore  county;  Logtown,  El  Dorado  county; 
Nevada  and  Grass  valley,  Nevada  county;  Downie- 
ville.    Sierra   county;    Indian   valley,    Plumas    count}'. 


262 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  extent  and  width  of  leads,  yield  per  ton,  and  pro- 
duction of  mines  vary  very  widely.  Of  eighty-four 
principal  gold  quartz  ledges  recently  examined,  it  was 
ascertained  that  the  average  thickness  of  twenty-one  is 
from  one  to  twelve  inches;  twenty,  from  thirteen  to 
twenty-four;  nine,  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-six;  ten, 
from  thirty-seven  to  forty-eight;  nine,  from  five  to  ten 
feet.  It  will  be  thus  seen  that  the  ledges  are  generally 
very  narrow;  but  as  the  quality  has  much  to  do  with 
the  productiveness,  many  of  the  small  leads  yield  the 
greatest  amount  of  bullion.  » 

The  yield  of  the  eighty-four  mines  examined  run 
from  four  dollars  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  dollars  to 
the  ton — one  mine  yielding  the  former  amount,  and 
one  the  latter.  Of  the  others,  three  yielded  six  dol- 
lars ;  four,  eight  dollars ;  one,  nine  dollars ;  nine,  ten 
dollars ;  twenty-two,  between  ten  dollars  and.  nineteen 
dollars ;  fourteen,  between  twent)''  dollars  and  twenty- 
nine  dollars;  fourteen,  between  thirty  doll .i.rs  and  forty- 
nine  dollars;  three,  between  fifty  doll;  r-  and  sixty-nine 
dollars ;  and  in  four  the  yield  was  over  seventy  dollars. 

The  cost  of  extracting  and  working  ores  varies  much ; 
often  governed  by  the  location,  extent  of  the  lead,  free- 
ness  of  the  ore  from  base  metals,  fuel  and  transporta- 
tion. For  instance :  in  the  mine  yielding  one  hundred 
and  eighty  dollars  per  ton,  the  lead  was  only  two  inches 
thick  ^and  it  cost  sixty  dollars  to  extract  a  ton  of  ore ; 
while  in  a  lead  fifteen  feet  wide  and  yielding  fifteen  dol- 
lars per  ton,  it  cost  but  fifty  cents  to  extract  a  ton  of 
ore.  The  cost  of  extracting  a  ton  of  ore  from  the  mines 
examined  was  from  fifty  cents  to  twenty-six  dollars. 
The  average  cost,  however,  of  the  eighty-four  examined 
mines  was  about  four  dollars  per  ton ;  while  to  work 


GOLD  AND   GOLD-MINING. 


263 


the  ore  from  the  time  it  left  the  mine  until  it  was  in 
amalgam  was  from  seventy-five  cents  to  seven  dollars 
per  ton,  or  an  average  of  about  three  dollars.  To  the 
price  of  extracting  the  ore,  averaging  about  four  dollars 
per  ton,  the  cost  of  milling,  averaging  about  three  dol- 
lars per  'ton,  must  be  added ;  also,  an  average  of  about 
sixty  cents  per  ton  for  transportation:  making  the 
average  expenses  for  laming  and  reducing  the  ore,  until 
the  gold  is  extracted,  $7.60  per  ton :  while  the  average 
yield  of  ore  per  ton  is  $18.50,  leaving  a  profit  of  $10.90 
per  ton.  It*  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  figures 
indicate  an  average,  and  do  not  by  any  means  convey 
the  idea  that  all  mines  pay  this  amount ;  for  instance : 
some  lodes  worked  only  yield  in  all  four  dollars  per 
ton;  these  are  worked  at  a  cost  of  about  $2.50,  leaving 
a  profit  of  %\  .50  per  ton ;  while  many  cost  all  that  is 
obtained,  leaving  nothing.  The  famous  Eureka  mine 
at  Grass  valley,  Nevada  county,  yields  about  forty-seven 
dollars  per  ton,  and  costs  about  fifteen  dollars  per  ton 
for  mining  and  milling;  leaving  about  thirty-two  dollars 
per  ton  net  profit. 

The  average  yield  of  quartz  in  California  and  Nevada 
is  the  largest  of  any  in  the  world.  In  many  mines  in 
Austria  and  Russia,  quartz  is  worked  which  yields  but 
one  dollar  and  tv/o  dollars  to  the  ton ;  and,  in  Japan, 
even  lower  grades  are  profitably  worked. 

The  famous  St.  John  Del  Rey,  in  Brazil,  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  profitable  gold-mines  in  the  world,  has 
produced  over  fifteen  million  dollars  in  about  forty 
years  working;  yet  its  gross  yield  per  ton  is  only  $7.59. 

The  most  remarkable  mine  in  the  world  is  the  Com- 
stock  lode  at  Virginia,  in  the  State  of  Nevada,  produc- 
ing gold  and  silver,  but  chiefly  the  latter.     It  was  dis- 


ir 


.264 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


covered  in  1858,  by  James  Fennimore,  who,  soon  after, 
sold  his  interest  for  a  trifle  to  Henry  Comstock.  More 
than  fifty  companies  are  at  work  on  this  lode,  which  has 
produced  over  one  hundred  million  dollars  in  bullion 
since  its  opening,  the  yield  per  ton  being  about  forty 
dollars.  No  single  lode  of  ancient  or  modern  times 
equals  this  immerse  mass  of  ore.  The  lode  proper  is 
located  within  an  area  three  miles  in  length  by  about 
six  hundred  yards  in  width  ;  but  the  lode  proper,  in  its 
widest  place,  is  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  at 
some  points  only  a  few  feet.  About  five  thousand  men 
are  employed  annually  in  the  various  mines  on  this 
lode,  the  average  annual  yield  per  man  being  twenty- 
five  hundred  dollars :  this  is  the  greatest  average  yield 
from  any  one  lode  in  the  world.  The  mines  of  Cali- 
fornia and  the  districts  of  Zacatecas,  Guanajuato,  Som- 
brerete,  Chihuahua,  Dura  igo,  Potosi,  and  Alamos  pale 
before  the  magnitude  of  this  great  silver  mountain. 

The  richest  m.ining-district  in  California  is  in  a  radius 
of  four  miles  around  Grass  valley,  Nevada  county,  which 
yields  over  three  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars 
annually,  employing  two  thousand  men,  who  produce 
an  average  of  seventeen  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  to 
each  person  ;  the  quartz  yielding  from  thirty  dollars  to 
thirty-five  dollars  per  ton.  The  greatest  yield  in  the 
State  is  reported  in  this  district :  one  thousand  dollars 
per  ton  from  a  small  lode  running  a  mill  of  eight 
stamps  only. 

It  is  estimated  that  about  one-third  of  the  gold  yield 
of  California  is  now  obtained  from  quartz ;  while  the 
remainder  is  obtained  from  bank,  cement,  and  placer 
diggings.  Considerable  depth  has  been  obtained  in 
some  of  the  quartz  mines:  the  Eureka,  at  Grass  valley, 


Cfa 

bodies 
region 
This  o 
attract 


GOLD  AND   GOLD-MINING. 


265 


is  supposed  to  have  gone  to  :he  greatest  depth  of  any  in 
the  State — over  1,220  feet ;  a  few  others  have  gone  to  a 
depth  of  from  six  hundred  to  seven  hundred  feet,  while 
most  are  down  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  feet. 

Improved  machinery'  for  crushing  quartz,  with  the 
decrease  in  wages,  is  steadily  inducing  capitalists  to 
embark  in  mines  partly  if  not  wholly  abandoned  many 
years  since ;  still,  throughout  the  entire  quartz  region 
of  the  State,  will  long  remain  deserted  mines,  rickety, 
tumble-down  mills,  and  rusty  machinery,  witnesses  of 
the  recklessness  and  folly  of  the  thousands  who,  through 
ignorance  if  not  through  worse  motives,  induced  capi- 
talists to  supply  mills  before  a  "lead"  had  been  dis- 
covered, only  to  be  abandoned  so  soon  as  failure  stared 
them  in  the  face,  with  the  admonition  to  discover  and 
test  a  mine  before  building  a  mill! 

There  is  no  branch  of  industry  or  speculation  wherein 
there  has  been  so  much  deception  practised  as  in  the 
quartz-mining  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Periodical  spasms 
of  excitement  are  gotten  up  about  some  new  mining- 
district;  "prospecters"  start  out  and  soon  return  with 
dieir  "pockets  full  of  rocks,"  often  genuine  discoveries 
but  as  often  rich  specimer* ^  obtained  from  some  old 
working  mine ;  assays  ure  made,  showing  hundreds  or 
thousands  of  dollars  per  ton ;  people  become  excited, 
companies  are  incorporated,  shares  sold — they  look 
pretty  on  paper — capitalists  invest  and  lose. 


Cement  Mining. — Within  a  few  years  pest  large 
bodies  of  cement  in  the  hillsides  and  flats  of  the  mininir 
regions  of  the  State  have  been  found  to  contain  gold. 
This  cement  is  crushed  and  worked  like  quartz,  and  is 
attracting  considerable  attention. 


266 


THE   GOLDEM  STATE. 


Mining  on  the  Gold  Beaches. — Beginning-  at  Hum- 
boldt bay,  in  Humboldt  county, and  extending  northward 
for  more  than  two  hundred  miles  upon  the  beach  of  the 
Pacific,  both  in  California  and  Oregon,  the  sands  of  the 
shore  are  mingled  with  fine  gold-dust,  and,  at  each  con- 
vulsion of  the  ocean,  new  deposits  are  thrown  to  the 
surface ;  the  violence  of  each  successive  storm  seeming 
to  heave  new  treasures  from  ^.he  depths  of  the  sea. 
Upon  this  beach  miners  erect  their  sluices,  guide  the 
waters  of  the  mountain  streams  through  them,  and 
wash  the  sand  of  this  golden  shore  for  its  precious  con- 
tents. An  average  of  ten  dollars  to  the  man  per  day 
is  made,  but,  owing  to  loss  of  time  occasioned  by  storms 
and  other  delays,  this  species  of  mining  has  not  always 
been  profitable. 


Quartz  Mills. — It  is  estimated  that  there  are  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty  quartz-mills,  with  an  aggregate 
of  5,500  stamps,  in  the  State.  The  machinery  of  these 
mills  is  estimated  to  have  cost  over  seven  million  dol- 
lars ;  more  than  half  of  them  are  propelled  by  steam, 
the  rest  by  water.  There  are  more  than  one  hundred 
of  them  lying  idle ;  some  having  been  erected  where  no 
quartz  or  mineral  existed,  others  upon  lodes  of  poor 
quality,  and  some  upon  ledges  now  exhausted. 

A  comparison  between  the  several  gold-producing 
sections  of  the  Pacific  coast  and  California,  and  the  gold 
product  of  Australia,  and  the  mineral  resources  of 
Great  Britain,  may  not  prove  uninteresting. 

The  yield  of  the  precious  metals  upon  the  whr  id  Pa- 
cific coast  for  the  year  187 1  is  estimated  at  |i68,ocAOO0: 
California  producing  but  a  little  over  one-third  of 
this  amount.     The   yield  was   as  follows:    California, 


10 

folic 
the 
nigH 


GOLD  AND   GOLD-MINING. 


267 


^25,000,000;  Nevada,  $25,000,000;  Idaho,  <^8,ooo,ooo; 
Oregon,  $3,000,000;  Utah,  $2,500,000;  British  Colum- 
bia, $2,ooo,orj;  Arizona,  $1,500,000;  and  Washington 
Territory,  ^1,000,000.  Estimating  the  g)ld  and  silver 
product  of  California,  since  the  discoveiy  of  gold  in 
1848  to  the  year  1872,  at  $1,000,000,000,  and  the  pro- 
duct of  all  the  other  sections  of  the  Pacific  coast,  from 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  them  to  the  year  1872,  at 
$200,000,000,  v/ould  give  an  aggregate  yield  for  the 
whole  coast  of  $1,200,060,000,  to  the  period  ending 
January  i,  1872. 

In  1 85 1,  gold  was  discovered  in  Australia;  and,  from 
that  period  forward  to  the  present,  mines,  both  in 
placers  and  quartz,  have  produced  abundantly  of  the 
precious  metals.  In  1852,  the  gold-mines  of  Victoria 
produced  $44,375,640;  and,  in  1856,  produced  the 
large  r  mount  of  any  single  year  since  the  discovery — 
$50  ;  Tc  ''20.  California's  greatest  yield  was  in  1853 — 
$6  ,;/^'X^. vso.  Since  1856,  there  has  been  a  marked 
declmo  mi  the  product  of  the  Australian  mines;  but 
these  mines  produce  more  at  the  present  time  than  ao 
the  gold-mines  of  California.  The  gold-fields  of  Aus- 
tralia extend  over  Victoria,  New  South  Wales,  New 
Zealand,  and  Queensland;  and  the  mines  of  these  re- 
gions, from  the  year  185 1  to  1872,  have  produced  an 
ai,>^regate  of  gold  equal  to  the  whole  product  of  Cali- 
fo-'.  ■■;  'vori  1848  to  1872 — $1,000,000,000.  The  figures 
following  exhibit  the  result  of  the  periods  named,  and 
the  product  since  these  last  dates  is  estimated,  and  is  as 
nigh  correct  as  can  well  be  ascertained. 

Victoria,  from  1851  to  1868,  yielded  $711,369,000; 
New  South  Wales,  from  1851  to  1868,  $148,314,125; 
Queensland,  from  i860  to  1867,  $2,424,850;  New  Zea- 


268 


THE    GOLDEN   STATE. 


land,  from  1853  to  1867,  «^74,924,28o:  showing  a  total 
within  these  dates  of  $937,032,255. 

It  will  be  observed  in  the  table  of  annual  yield  of 
gold  in  California  that  the  amount  from  the  dibcovery 
of  gold  to  1872  is  but  ;  /"^^r-oo.ooo.  Amounts,  going 
from  the  mines  into  the  i.  3  of  private  parties,  and 
not  easily  accounted  for,  have  been  estimated  to  swell 
the  amount  in  the  table  to  $1,000,000,000;  and  the  es- 
timated aggregate  amounts  obtained  from  the  Austra- 
lian mines  and  the  amounts  passing  into  private  hands, 
since  the  last  reports  above,  will  swell  the  total  pro- 
duct of  Australia  to  a  little  over  the  entire  yield  of 
California. 

The  approximate  value  in  the  yield  of  the  precious 
metals  in  California  and  Australia,  consideiing  the  large 
amounts  and  that  the  dates  of  discovery  in  each  country 
are  so  close  to  each  other,  is  something  most  remarka- 
ble in  the  history  of  gold-mining  and  the  gold  product 
of  the  world. 

The  government  of  Victoria  collects  for  miners' 
licenses,  miners'  rights,  leases  of  gold  and  mineral 
lands,  and  other  mining  taxes;  while  in  the  United 
States  no  collections  are  made,  except  in  a  few  instances 
Avhere  local  governments  impose  a  small  tax  upon 
Chinese,  and  thj.t  in  violation  of  the  laws  of  the 
national  government. 

In  the  seven  leading  mining- districts  of  Victoria, 
namely,  Ballarat,  Beeckworth,  Sandhurst,  Maryborough, 
Castlemain,  Ararat,  and  GIppsland,  there  are  2,431 
miles  of  water  races  constructed,  at  a  cost  of  $1,551,350. 
The  area  of  land  held  as  claims  in  the  same  districts  is 
133.575  acres;  and  the  estimated  value  of  the  claims  in 
these  seven  districts  is  $44,347,520.     The  number  of 


GOLD  AND    GOLD-MININC. 


269 


machines  employed  in  alluvial  mining  are  441  steam- 
engines,  1,887  pumping  machines,  298  whims,  320 
whips,  261  cradles,  19,346  water-wheels,  643  stamps 
crushing  cement ;  and  the  number  employed  in  quartz- 
mining  are  602  steam-engines,  66  crushing  machines, 
5,977  stamps,  512  whims,  436  whips.  The  value  of  all 
the  mining  machinery  and  appliances  used  in  mining 
in  Victoria  is  estimated  at  <^io,752,i6o. 

The  number  of  men  engaged  in  mining  in  Victoria, 
in  1 85 1,  was  19,300;  the  largest  number  in  i860, 
108,562  ;  and  the  number  in  1868  was  64,658. 

In  1857,  there  were  36,3'? 7  Chinamen  working  at  the 
mines  in  Victoria.  In  1868,  the  number  was  reduced 
to  15,300.  The  remainder  have  nearly  all  returned  to 
their  native  land.  Only  fifty-six  of  the  15,300  were 
working  at  the  quartz  mines ;  the  balance  were  work- 
ing on  the  alluvial  mines. 

•  In  1852,  the  average  earnings  of  miners  was  ^1,310; 
in  1862,  it  fell  to  $336;  in  1868,  the  average  rose  to 
^520  per  man  per  annum. 

Gold,  of  all  metals,  has  a  peculiar  charm  for  the 
human  family,  and  the  real  value  of  the  baser  metals  is 
often  ignored  in  the  thirst  for  the  circulating  medium  as 
it  comes  glittering  from  the  mine  or  the  mint.  Great 
Britain  does  not  produce  the  precious  metals,  yet  her 
annual  yield  of  minerals  far  surpasses  all  the  gold  of 
California,  and  that  in  such  magnitude  that  there  is  no 
comparison.  The  annual  value  of  the  mineral  products 
of  Great  Britain  is  about  three  times  as  great  as  the 
greatest  annual  yield  of  gold  in  California,  and  eight 
times  as  great  as  the  mines  of  California  produce  at  the 
present  period.  The  value  of  the  minerals  taken  from 
the  mines  of  Great  Britain,  in  1869,  was  ^176,269,000. 


270 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


If  we  calculate  this  amount  by  twenty-four,  the  years 
of  the  existence  of  the  gold-mines  of  California,  and  in 
which  they  have  produced  |i  1,000,000,000,  we  will  have 
the  aggregate  sum  of  <j54, 2 30,45  6,000  worth  of  iron, 
lead,  copper,  tin,  and  coal  in  Great  Britain,  against 
^1,000,000,000  of  gold  produced  from  all  the  mines  of 
California  within  the  same  period.  A  feature  worthy 
of  notice  in  connection  with  this  subject  is  that,  while 
the  yield  of  the  precious  metals  in  California  is  steadily 
on  the  decrease,  the  production  of  the  mines  of  the 
British  islands  is  steadily  on  the  increase.  But  it  is 
doubtless  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  supply  from 
the  earth  must  give  out. 

The  minerals  raised  from  the  earth  in  the  United 
Kingdom,  in  1869,  were  of  the  value  of  no  less  than 
^176,269,000.  This  amount  exceeds  that  of  the  pre- 
ceding year  by  upwards  of  ^8,000,000.  The  coal  pro- 
duced in  1869  was  107,427,557  tons.  The  returns  for, 
1868  showed  only  103,141,157  tons  produced,  being  less 
than  in  1869  by  above  four  million  tons.  The  produc- 
tion of  iron  ore  in  1869  advanced  to  11,508,525  tons,  of 
the  value  of  ;^  16,000,000;  the  quantity  is  about  1,340,000 
tons  more  than  the  year  preceding.  The  great  increase 
is  in  North  Staffordshire  and  in  Scotland.  The  tin  ore 
amounted  to  14,720  tons,  and  copper  ore,  129.953  tons. 


ii 


MINES  AND  MINING. 


2'Jl 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Tunnel-mining  —  Sutro  tunnel  —  Canals  —  Ditches — Asphaltum — 
Cement — Coal — Copper — Cobalt — Nickle — Diamonds — Electro- 
silicon  —  Gypsum — Iron — Lead  —  Petroleum — Quicksilver — Salt 
— Sulphur — Tin — Marble — Granite — Caves — Mining  laws — Min- 
ing laws  of  Spain  and  Mexico — Geology  and  mineralogy — Great 
mines  of  the  world. 

Tunnel-Mining. — Tunnel-mining  is  carried  on  to  a 
considerable  extent  in  California:  mountains  are  pierced 
through  granite  and  slate,  for  great  distances  and  at 
great  expenditure  of  time  and  money,  in  order  to  reach 
quartz  veins ;  the  object  being  to  strike  the  lode  as  low 
down  as  possible,  so  as  to  drain  the  mine  of  water  and 
extract  ore :  when  the  lode  is  reached,  drifts  and  branch 
tunnels  enable  the  miner  to  quarry  the  quartz,  which 
finds  its  way  through  the  main  tunnel  to  the  surface  or 
the  mill,  where  it  is  ground  and  the  metal  extracted. 
Mountains  are  also  often  pierced  in  order  to  reach  the 
deposits  of  gold  dust  in  the  beds  of  ancient  rivers  and 
basins,  which  in  many  instances  have  proven  very  rich. 

Sutro  Tunnel. — The  grandest  project  in  tunnel- 
mining  in  America  is  the  Sutro  tunnel,  at  Virginia  City, 
in  the  State  of  Nevada,  intended  to  cut  the  famous 
Comstock  lode,  and  pass  under  Mount  Davidson  at  a 
depth  of  7,827  feet  from  its  top,  which  is  1,622  feet 
above  Virginia  City. 

The  Comstock  lode  will  be  reached  by  this  tunnel  at 
a  distance  of  twenty  thousand  feet,  or  three  and  one- 
fourth  miles,  from  its  mouth,  and  be  cut  at  a  perpen- 
dicular depth  of  1,900  feet — or  2,900,  following  the  dip 


272 


fllE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  the  lode.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1872,  the 
Crown  Point,  Belcher,  and  other  mines  on  this  lode 
had  reached  a  depth  of  1,700  feet,  developing  marvel- 
lous richness.  The  present  working  of  all  the  mines  on 
this  lode  is  done  by  the  tedious  and  expensive  process 
of  hoisting  through  §hafts  and  pumping  out  water.  The 
tunnel  when  completed  will  drain  the  mines  to  a  great 
depth,  and  open  a  wide  avenue  for  transporting  ores 
from  the  vein  on  cars.  It  is  estimated  that  three  and 
a-half  years  from  January  i,  1872,  will  be  necessary  to 
reach  the  lode  by  this  tunnel,  involving  an  outlay  of 
four  and  a-half  million  dollars. 

Congress,  by  act  of  July  25,  1866,  has  made  liberal 
donations  to  this  project,  granting  in  perpetuity  a  belt 
of  rich  mineral  land  through  which  the  tunnel  passes, 
seven  miles  in  length  and  four  thousand  feet  in  width — 
5,080  acres ;  also,  1,280  acres  of  land  at  the  mouth  of 
the  tunnel,  the  exclusive  ownership  of  all  mines  dis 
covered  by  the  tunnel,  and  a  royalty  forever  of  two 
dollars  on  each  ton  of  ore  extracted  from  any  part  of 
the  Comstock  lode  after  the  vein  is  reached  by  the  tun- 
nel. The  payment  of  this  amount  is  made  compulsory 
by  the  same  act.  From  this  tax  the  tunnel  company 
will  derive  a  large  revenue.  Work  on  the  tunnel  is 
being  vigorously  pushed. 

Deep  mining,  on  true  silver  veins  such  as  the  Com- 
stock, has  proved  most  successful.  The  shafts  now 
down  three  thousand  feet  on  the  Sampson  mine,  in 
Germany^the  deepest  in  the  world — demonstrate  con- 
tinued and  improving  richness. 

Beyond  all  doubt  the  Comstock  lode  is  the  most  ex- 
tensive and  the  richest  quartz  mine  in  the  world,  far 
surpassing  any  thing  in  Mexico,  South  and  Central 


MINES  AND  MINING, 


273 


America,  and  Europe.  Granada,  in  Spain;  Kongsberg, 
in  Norway;  Pasco,  in  Peru ;  Potosi,  in  Bolivia;  Chafiar- 
cillo,  in  Chili;  Valenciana,  Veta  Granda,  Real  del 
Monte,  of  Mexico;  the  Schemnitz  and  Felsobanya,  of 
Hungary — although  representing  the  great  silver  sup- 
ply fountains  of  the  world — all  pale  before  the  magni- 
tude of  the  Comstock,  of  Nevada. 

The  lode  proper,  as  developed  in  the  Comstock,  ex- 
tends five  miles  in  length,  and  has  a  width  of  from  fifty 
to  five  hundred  feet.  Fifty  steam-engines  and  three 
thousand  men  are  employed  in  working  the  various 
mines,  which  were  opened  in  1859,  and  have  yielded, 
up  to  January,  1872,  an  aggregate  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  million  dollars — of  which  ninety  million  dollars 
was  silver  and  fifty  million  dollars  gold. 

With  the  present  mode  of  working,  rock  yielding 
less  than  twenty  dollars  a  ton  is  not  worked,  because 
it  will  not  pay.  » 

The  annual  yield  from  the  Comstock  is  now  about 
sixteen  million  dollars,  and  of  the  State  of  Nevada 
twenty-five  million  dollars. 

The  Austrian  government  has  but  recently  completed 
the  adit-level  of  Joseph  II,  commenced  in  1782,  leading 
from  the  valley  of  the  river. Gran  to  the  mining  district 
at  Schemnitz,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  cutting  the  veins 
at  a  depth  of  fourteen  hundred  feet.  It  is  ten  feet  wide 
and  twelve  high,  used  both  as  a  railway  and  canal,  and 
was  constructed  partly  to  explore  for  new  veins  and 
partly  to  drain  mines  already  in  operation.  The 
Schemnitz  mines,  in  the  northern  part  of  Hungary, 
furnish  gold,  silver,  iron,  lead,  copper,  and  sulphur — 
gold  to  the  value  of  about  seventy-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, silver  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars — the  annual 

iS 


274 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


value  of  all  the  metals  not  exceeding  one  million  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  celebrated  silver  mines  at  Freiberg,  in  operation 
since  the  commencement  of  the  thirteenth  century,  are 
at  present  drained  by  an  adit  beginning  on  a  tributary 
of  the  river  Elbe,  extending  something  over  eight 
miles,  so  as  to  communicate  with  all  the  mines  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  district,  being  over  eight  feet  wide 
and  nearly  ten  feet  high,  securing  a  drainage  at  a  depth 
of  sixteen  hundred  feet.  But,  as  the  ore  of  these  mines 
continues  to  increase  in  richness  with  the  depth,  it  has 
been  proposed  by  eminent  engineers,  and  the  govern- 
ment of  Saxony  it  is  said  has  in  contemplation  the  con- 
struction of  an  adit-level  of  the  extraordinary  length 
of  twenty-two  miles,  opening  in  the  river  Elbe,  and 
cutting  the  veins  of  the  Freiberg  district  at  the  average 
depth  of  two  thousand  feet.  Should  this  bold  concep- 
tion ever  be  carried  into  practical  effect,  it  will  consti- 
tute one  of  the  grandest  enterprises  of  the  present  age, 
and  the  most  extensive  mining  tunnel  in  the  world. 

The  Freiberg  mines,  to  which  so  much  talent,  energy, 
and  such  vast  expenditures  of  money  are  being  de- 
voted in  contriving  works  to  operate  and  improve  them, 
yield  a  silver  product  of -the  annual  value  of  about  one 
million  dollars,  and  in  a  period  of  nearly  three  hundred 
and  fifty  years  have  produced  an  aggregate  value  not 
exceeding  one  hundred  and  twenty  million  dollars. 

The  Harz  mines,  in  the  district  of  Clausthal,  in  the 
former  kingdom  of  Hanover,  are  drained  by  a  tunnel 
penetrating  the  mountains  for  a  distance  of  six  and 
one-half  miles,  nine  hundred  feet  beneath  the  town  of 
Clausthal,  commenced  in  1777  and  completed  about 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century.     The  first  tunnel 


MINES  AND  MINING. 


275 


in  the  Harz  for  draining  mines  was  commenced  in  1525, 
and  before  the  end  of  that  century  three  more  were 
constructed;  and,  in  1799,  another  was  completed  of  a 
length,  including  galleries,  of  nearly  eleven  miles. 

In  185 1,  the  Ernst  August  tunnel  was  commenced  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Gittelde  to  drain  the  deep  mines 
of  the  Clausthal  district,  estimated  to  require  twenty- 
two  years  in  its  completion,  but  by  the  improved  appli- 
ances now  used  in  tunnelling  was  finished  in  1864 — ^^ 
twelve  years  and  eleven  months.  This  is  said  to  be 
the  largest  tunnel  in  the  Harz,  and  furnishes  the  deep- 
est natural  drainage  to  the  mines  that  can  ever  be  ob- 
tained. The  water  in  this  tunnel  has  sufficient  depth 
to  allow  the  use  of  long  flat-boats  for  the  transportation 
of  the  ore. 

•The  mines  of  the  Harz  are  chiefly  argentiferous 
galena,  with  copper  pyrites,  iron  pyrites,  and  gray  cop- 
per ore,  producing  annually  a  supply  of  silver  worth 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars;  »lead,  five  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  dollars;  copper,  ninety  thousand 
dollars;  iron,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars; or  an  aggregate  value  of  one  million  four  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  combined  yearly  product 
of  Schemnltz,  Freiberg,  and  the  upper  Harz,  for  the 
profitable  working  of  which  the  best  engineering  talent 
of  Europe  has  been  taxed  for  a  period  of  three  centu- 
ries to  provide  means  of  drainage  and  ventilation,  and 
the  governments  of  Austria,  Saxony,  and  Hanover  have 
lavishly  expended  so  much  money,  is  not  much  over  four 
million  dollars,  or  about  one-fourth  of  the  value  of  the 
gold  and  silver  annually  furnished  by  the  Comstock  lode. 

In  all  the  localities  above  referred  to,  where  deep 


276 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


drainage  has  been  effected,  the  result  appears  to  have 
fully  realized  the  expectations  of  the  projectors,  so 
much  so  at  Freiberg  that  it  is  contemplated  to  drive  an 
sdit  far  surpassing  any  similar  work  yet  undertaken, 
and  reaching  a  lower  level  than  any  hitherto  attained 
in  that  locality;  and  both  in  Freiberg  and  in  the  Harz 
the  ores  appear  not  merely  to  have  maintained  their 
quality,  but  even  to  have  increased  in  richness  with  the 
depth  oi  the  mine. 

The  great  Sampson  vein,  on  the  Harz,  has  been 
worked  to  the  depth  of  2,580  feet,  being  the  deepest 
mine  now  in  operation  on  the  globe.  At  the  depth  of 
2,160  feet,  one  of  the  finest  accumulations  of  ore  ever 
met  with  was  reached;  and,  although  the  works  have 
been  carried  down  four  hundred  and  twenty  feet  further, 
this  superior  quality  of  the  ore  is  still  maintained.     . 

A  tunnel  of  fifteen  miles  in  length  was  commenced 
some  years  since  in  Saxony,  intended  to  open  the  prin- 
cipal mines  of  Freiberg;  it  is  supposed  that  fifty  years 
labor  will  be  necessary  to  insure  its  completion. 

Quartz-mining  is  in  its  infancy  in  California.  The 
western  ridge  of  the  Sierras  from  its  summit  is  ribbed 
for  its  entire  length  with  a  series  of  rich  gold  quartz 
veins,  and  not  until  these  mountains  are  pierced  with 
such  gigantic  tunnels  as  those  of  some  of  the  mines  of 
Europe  and  the  Sutro  tunnel  will  California  begin  :o 
yield  her  golden  treasure,  now  held  in  the  granite 
coffers  of  the  Sierra  NeA'adas,  awaiting  only  the  touch 
of  scientific  labor  to  open  their  ponderous  doors. 


qui 


Canals  and  Ditches. — In  every  branch  of  mining 
water  is  necessary,  and,  where  it  cannot  be  obtained 
through  natural  channels,  artificial  conveyances  must 


MINES  AND  MINING. 


277 


be  constructed.  To  conduct  water  to  the  mines  scat- 
tered over  the  slopes  of  the  Sierras  and  foot-hills  of 
California  has  been  a  work  of  great  skill,  as  well  as  of 
great  necessity,  and  the  whole  interior  mining  district 
is  a  complete  net-work  of  ditches  and  canals.  There 
are  over  five  hundred  ditches  constructed  for  mining 
purposes,  making  a  total  length  of  more  than  four 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  length.  Be- 
side these,  there  are  six  hundred  and  seventy  ditches 
constructed  for  irrigation  in  the  agricultural  regions, 
extending  their  waters  to  more  than  seventy  thousand 
acres  of  land. 


OTHER  MINERALS   BESIDE   GOLD   AND  SILVER. 

Asphaltum — Which  is  a  kind  of  tarry  substance, 
issues  from  the  ground  in  great  quantities  along  the 
sea-coast  m  Los  Angeles  and  Santa  Barbara  counties. 
When  mixed  with  sand  and  other  ingredients,  it  is  ex- 
tensively used  for  roofing  houses  and  making  sidewalks 
in  cities. 

Borax. — The  most  extensive  borax  deposits  in  the 
world  are  in  California.  The  chief  supply  is  c  jtained 
from  the  bottom  of  a  small  lake  in  Lake  cout  cy. 

Cement — Of  a  ver)-  good  quality  ar^d  in  considerable 
quantity  is  obtained  at  several  points  in  the  State. 

Coal. — Within  a  few  years  past  coal  has  been  dis- 
covered in  several  parts  of  the  State ;  but  so  far  the 
only  mines  worked  to  any  extent  are  the  mines  in 
Monte  Diablo,  in  Con  era  Costa  county,  directly  east  of 
San  Francisco,  and  che  Coos  Bay  mines,  in  Klamath 
county,  near  the  Oregon  State  line. 

Copper. — The  principal  copper  mines  of  California 


278 


TJIE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


are  located  at  Copperopolis,  Calaveras  county.  This 
locality,  as  well  as  many  others  in  California,  is  rich  in 
copper ;  but,  owing  to  the  high  price  of  labor,  lack  of 
cheap  transportation,  and  the  low  prices  of  copper  in 
foreign  markets,  these  mines  have  not  been  renumera- 
tiv'e,  but,  on  the  contrary,  have  generally  proven  disas- 
trous to  all  engaged  in  them. 

Cobalt  and  Nickle. — These  minerals  have  been  found 
in  small  quantities  in  Placer  county  and  in  other  parts 
of  the  State. 

Diamonds. — In  Amadore  and  other  counties,  in  the 
western  slope  of  the  Sierras,  diamonds  have  been  found, 
but  they  are  rare  and  of  inferior  quality.  Miners  have 
found  them  generally  in  cleaning  up  their  sluices.  None 
of  them  have  the  brilliancy  of  a  first-class  diamond.  A 
few  have  been  found  of  fair  quality  and  worth  from 
thirty  dollars  to  sixty  dollars  each. 

Electro-Silicon. — This  is  a  chalk-like  mineral  found 
in  great  quantities  in  El  Dorado  county  and  also  in  the 
State  of  Nevada.  It  is  used  in  cleaning  silverware  and 
metals  of  every  description :  it  imparts  a  glossy  polish 
and  fine  burnish  tc  the  finest  gold  and  silver.  It  is  the 
best  known  article  in  use  for  polishing  metals,  is  largely 
in  use  in  the  State,  and  must  eventually  find  a  market 
in  other  quarters. 

Gypsum — Has  been  discovered  in  considerable  quan- 
tities in  Los  Angele**  and  Santa  Cruz  counties. 

Iron. — Many  parts  of  the  State  have  shown  favorable 
indications  of  deposits  of  iron  ore ;  but  so  far  no  mine 
of  rich  ore  has  been  opened,  nor  any  work  done  to 
justify  the  belief  that  the  State  has  any  iron  deposits  to 
equal  those  of  the  Atlantic  States.     Lake,  Santa  Clara, 


MINES.  AND  MINING. 


279 


Butte,  Placer,  Calaveras,  and  Sierra  counties  have  shown 
good  indications  of  iron. 

Lead. — Lead  is  abundant  on  the  Pacific  coast — Ari- 
zona, Nevada,  and  California  having  it  in  great  abun- 
dance. Santa  Catalina  island,  off  the  coast  of  Santa 
Barbara  county,  abounds  in  this  mineral.  Extensive 
lead-works  at  San  Franci.sco  receive  full  supply  of  ore 
from  various  directions  on  the  coast. 

Petroleum. — Petroleum  of  an  inferior  quality  has  been 
discovered  in  many  parts  of  California  from  the  north- 
ern to  the  southern  extremity  of  the  State.  So  far  its 
discovery  has  been  confined  to  the  Coast  Range  of 
mountains  and  to  the  counties  of  Kern,  Humboldt, 
Santa  Barbara,  and  Santa  Cruz. 

Platinum  and  Plumbago. — These  mineral  ire  found 
in  many  placef  throughout  the  State ;  the  lormer  in 
small  quantities  only,  but  the  latter  in  abundance  in 
Mariposa,  Calaveras,  Tuolumne,  and  Los  Angeles 
counties. 

Quicksilver. — California  produres  more  quicksilver 
than  any  other  country  in  the  world.  The  principal 
supply  is  derived  from  the  famous  New  Almaden  mine, 
in  Santa  Clara  county,  about  thirteen  miles  southeast 
of  the  town  of  San  Jose.  This  mine  has  been  worked 
constantly  since  1850.  having  produced  about  forty 
million  pounds  since  that  period,  without  any  signs  of 
decrease  in  the  yield.  Beside  this  mine  there  are  others 
in  the  State  from  which  a  considerable  quantity  of  quick- 
silver is  obtained — the  New  Idria,  Guadalupe,  Reding- 
ton,  and  San  Juan  Bautista.  Besides  supplying  the 
home  market  with  the  large  amount  of  quicksilver  used 
in  mining  and  for  other  purposes,  all  the  Pacific  States 
and  Territories  derive  their  supply  from  California,  and 


I 


i 


28o 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


great  quantities,  shipped  annually  to  Australia,  South 
and  Central  America,  the  Atlantic  States,  Great  Britain, 
China,  and  Japan,  are  obtained  in  these  mines. 

Salt. — There  is  a  good  supply  of  salt  in  California, 
In  some  of  the  southern  counties  of  the  State  great 
deposits  are  found  in  the  beds  of  ancient  lakes  which 
have  been  dried  up  for  centuries.  In  Los  Angeles, 
Alameda,  and  other  counties,  large  quantities  of  salt 
are  made  by  ditching  and  confining  the  salt  water  until 
solar  evaporation  carries  off  the  water,  leaving  a  crystal 
deposit  upon  the  bottom.  Alameda  county*  alone  pro- 
duces more  than  ten  thousand  tons  annually.  Great 
quantities  of  salt  are  annually  imported  into  the  State 
from  Carmen  island  and  Europe.  Immense  beds  of 
salt  are  found  in  Nevada  and  Utah,  and  mountains 
of  excellent  salt  in  Arizona,  and  Oregon  has  several 
valuable  salt-springs. 

Sulphur. — Sulphur  of  a  superior  quality  is  found  in 
great  abundance  in  California,  the  chief  supply  being 
obtained  in  Lake,  Sonoma,  and  Colusa  counties.  It  has 
been  lately  discovered  in  the  counties  of  Klamath,  Kern, 
Napa,  Los  Angeles,  and  Santa  Barbara.  The  powder 
works  in  the  State  receive  their  supply  in  the  State 

Tin. — ^The  only  tin -mines  yet  discovered  in  the 
United  States  are  in  the  southern  part  of  California. 
The  San  Jacinto  tin  coiipany  have  *ifty-three  distinct 
lodes  in  one  small  district  ir  San  Bernardino  county. 
Many  of  these  lodes  are  very  rich  in  mineral ,  bi:t, 
owing  to  the  low  price  of  tin  (forty  cents  per  pound) 
and  the  high  price  of  labor,  work  has  been  suspended 
after  the  company  having  produced  many  tons  of  a 
superior  article  of  tin.  There  are  also  tin-mines  in  Los 
Angeles  and  San  Diego  counties  and  oth*^r  portions  of 


I 


MINES  AND  MINING. 


281 


the  southern  ^art  of  the  State.     The  first  development 
of  tin  in  the  State  was  in  1668. 

Marble  and  Granite. — Marble  and  granite  of  good 
quality  is  found  in  many  parts  of  the  State.  The  chief 
granite  quarries  are  in  Sacramento  county,  at  the  town 
of  Folsom.  Marble  ofgood  quality  and  different  varie- 
ties is  found  in  Plumas,  El  Dorado,  Tuolumne,  Butte, 
Salano,  Amadore,  and  Placer  counties.  The  greater 
part  of  the  marble,  however,  used  in  the  State  is  im- 
ported direct  from  Italy. 

Caves. — Among  the  natural  wonders  of  California, 
the  Alabaster  cave  of  El  Dorado  stands  prominent. 
This  cave,  which  is  the  only  one  of  note  in  t  le  State, 
was  discovered  in  April,  1 860.  The  cave  consists  of  a 
number  of  chambers  or  rooms,  the  main  entrance  to 
which  is  a  tunnel-like  aperture  in  the  side  of  a  pioun- 
•tain  of  white  limestone.  The  interior  of  this  cave  is 
beautiful  beyond  description,  and  consists  of  a  series  of 
chambers  of  various  sizes,  shapes,  and  colors.  The  first 
chamber  reached  on  entering  is  about  twenty-five  feet 
in  length  and  seventeen  feet  in  width,  varying  from  five 
to  twelve  feet  in  height.  Passing  through  this  apart- 
ment, the  Dungeon  of  Enchantment  is  reached — a  cham- 
ber of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length  and 
seventy  feet  in  width,  and  from  five  to  twenty  feet  in 
height.  Here  the  luxuriant  and  exquisite  decoration 
of  nature  strikes  the  vision  of  the  beholder.  Pendent 
from  roof  and  walls  are  beautiful  stalactites  in  every 
variety  of  form  and  shade  of  color,  from  bright  coral  to 
milk-white,  most  exquisitely  wrought  by  the  hitid  of 
nature  into  the  most  fantastic  foliage  and  charming 
crystallizations,  representing  trees,  plants,  flowers,  and 


282 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


leaves,  casting  tlieir  shadows  and  brilHaiy:  contrasts  of 
light  and  shade,  which  sparkle  and  glisten  like  stars  in 
a  clear  sky  or  diamonds  in  fleecy  robes  of  ermine. 
Passing  from  this  apartment,  the  throne  upon  which 
is  seated  nature's  grandest  effort  is  reached.  Here 
Grecian,  Roman,  and  Italian  art  pales,  and  the  royal 
pomp  and  tinsel  of  the  Vatican  fades  into  stiffness  and 
disorder:  no  canopy  so  gorgeous,  no  pulpit  so  eloquent 
as  tne  one  from  which  comes  the  silent  admonition  of 
man's  inferiority  and  Jehovah's  omnipotence  as  pro- 
claimed from  the  Crystal  Chapel  of  this  royal  apart- 
ment, whose  exquisite  drapery,  fleecy  festoonings,  and 
silver  cords,  looped  from  pillar  and  dome  by  the  fingers 
of  nature,  when  illuminated  with  artificial  light,  render 
Alabaster  cave  a  most  charming  sight. 


MINING  LAWS. 

By  the  civil  law  the  primary  title  to  all  the  precious 
metals  was  vested  in  the  Crown.  All  gold,  silver,  and 
precious  stones,  if  in  the  public  domain,  belonged  to  the 
sovereign,  and  it  was  long  held  that  even  the  precious 
metals  in  the  lands  of  individuals  were  subject  to  the 
royal  will.  In  parts  of  Asia  and  Europe,  all  mines  of 
precious  metals  are  worked  under  the  direction  of  the 
monarch,  whether  in  public  or  private  lands ;  in  other 
parts,  the  government  derives  a  revenue  from  all  mines 
worked  by  demanding  one-tenth  of  the  product  of  the 
mine  if  worked  by  the  owner,  and  if  the  mine  is  worked 
by  other  than  the  owner,  he  pays  two-tenths — one  to 
the  owner  and  one  to  the  king. 

At  this  day  the  prevailing  opinion  is,  that  all  mines 
of  precious  metals,  wherever  situated,  are  subject  to  the 
sovereign,  that  they  are  a  part  of  the  royal  patrimony, 


Sec. 
<loniainJ 


MINES  AND  MINING. 


283 


and  necessary  as  a  source  of  revenue  in  times  of  war. 
Laws  enforcing  this  doctrine  have  been  passed  by  many 
countries  of  Europe,  including  Germany,  France,  and 
Portugal.  According  to  the  laws  of  England,  mines  of 
gold  and  silver  are  termed  royal  mines ;  they  are  the 
exclusive  property  of  the  crown,  and  a  grant  of  land 
from  the  king  will  not  pass  the  title  of  these  mines  w'lih- 
o\xt  specific  words  divesting  the  crown  of  title.  And  this 
doctrine  of  title  to  the  precious  metals  is  the  law  of  the 
United  States,  although  no  claim  has  been  made  by  the 
government  of  the  United  States  to  the  precious  metals 
in  the  lands  of  individuals,  and  in  all  the  States  and 
Territories  where  the  precious  metals  exist  the  mines 
have  been  thrown  open  to  every  citizen,  without  re- 
striction or  price,  to  mine  where  he  pleased.  England, 
too,  has  adopted  this  wise  policy  in  reference  to  Aus- 
tralia, British  Columbia,  Nova  Scotia,  and  other  places. 
Within  the  past  few  years  much  anxiety  has  been 
felt  by  persons  settled  upon  the  mineral  lands  in  Cali- 
fornia and  other  parts  of  the  United  States  because  they 
could  not  obtain  title  to  them.  •  These  lands  were  neither 
offered  at  public  sale  nor  could  they  be  preempted  nor 
entered  under  the  homestead  laws  of  the  country ;  and 
their  occupants  were  but  tenants  at  sufferance  of  the 
United  States.  In  order  to  relax  these  oppressive  laws 
and  enable  the  miner  to  obtain  a  permanent  and  com- 
plete title  to  his  mine,  Congress  enacted  the  following 
laws,  which  must  stimulate  new  enterprise  in  the  min- 
eral regions  of  the  whole  country : 

THE   NATIONAL  MINERAL  LAND   LAW. 
[Approved  July  96, 1866.] 

Sec.  I.  Be  it  enacted,  &*£.,  That  the  mineral  lands  of  the  public 
domain,  both  surveyed  and  unsurveyed,  are  hereby  declared  to  be 


284 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


free  and  open  to  exploration  and  occupation  by  all  citizens  of  the 
United  States  and  those  who  have  declared  their  intention  to  become 
citizens,  subject  to  such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by  law, 
and  subject  also  to  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  several 
mining  districts,  so  far  ^&  the  same  may  not  be  in  conflict  with  the 
laws  of  the  United  States. 

Sec.  2.  That  whenever  any  person  or  association  of  persons  claim 
a  vein  or  lode  of  quartz,  or  other  rock  in  place,  bearing  gold,  silver, 
cinnabar,  or  copper,  having  previously  occupied  and  improved  the 
same  according  to  the  local  customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  dis- 
trict where  the  same  is  situated,  and  having  expended  in  actual 
labor  and  improvements  thereon  an  amount  of  not  less  than  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  in  regard  to  whose  possession  there  is  no  con- 
troversy or  opposing  claim,  it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  said 
claimant  or  association  of  claimants  to  file  in  the  local  lund  office  a 
diagram  of  the  same,  so  extended  laterally  or  otherwise  as  to  con- 
form to  the  local  laws,  customs,  and  rules  of  miners,  and  to  enter 
such  tract  and  receive  a  patent  therefor,  granting  such  mine,  together 
with  the  right  to  follow  such  vein  or  lode  with  its  dips,  angles,  and 
variations,  to  any  depth,  although  it  may  enter  the  land  adjoining, 
which  land  adjoining  shall  be  sold  subject  to  this  condition. 

Sec.  3.  That  upon  the  filing  of  the  diagram  as  provided  in  the 
second  section  of  this  act,  and  posting  the  same  in  a  conspicuous 
place  on  the  claim,  together  with  a  notice  of  intention  to  apply  for 
a  patent,  the  Register  of  the  Land  Office  shall  publish  a  notice  of 
the  same  in  a  newspaper  published  nearest  to  the  location  of  said 
claim,  and  shall  also  post  such  notice  in  his  office  for  the  period  of 
ninety  days ;  and  after  the  expiration  of  said  period,  if  no  adverse 
claim  shall  have  been  filed,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Surveyor- 
General,  upon  application  of  the  party,  to  survey  the  premises  and 
make  a  plat  thereof,  indorsed  with  his  approval,  designating  the 
number  and  description  of  the  location,  the  value  of  the  labor  and 
improvements,  and  the  character  of  the  yein  exposed ;  and  upon  the 
payment  to  the  proper  officer  of  five  dollars  per  acre,  together  with 
the  cost  of  such  survey,  plat,  and  notice,  and  giving  satisfactory 
evidence  that  said  diagram  and  notice  have  been  posted  on  the  claim 
during  said  period  of  ninety  days,  the  Register  of  the  Land  Office 
shall  transmit  to  the  General  Land  Office  said  plat,  survey,  and 
description,  and  a  patent  shall  issue  for  the  same  thereupon.     But 


NATIONAL  MINING  LAW. 


285 


said  plat,  survey,  or  description  shall  in  no  case  cover  more  than 
one  vein  or  lode,  and  no  patent  shall  issue  for  more  than  one  vei;i 
or  lode,  which  shall  be  expressed  in  the  patent  issued. 

Sec.  4.  That  when  such  location  and  entry  of  a  mine  shall  be 
upon  unsurveyed  land  it  shall  and  may  be  lawful,  after  the  extension 
thereto  of  the  public  surveys,  to  adjust  the  surveys  to  the  limits  of 
the  premises  according  to  the  location  and  possession  and  plat 
aforesaid ;  and  the  Surveyor-Gteneral  may,  in  extending  the  surveys, 
vary  the  same  from  a  rectangular  form  to  suit  the  circumstances  of 
the  country  and  the  local  rules,  laws,  and  customs  of  miners :  Pro- 
vided, That  no  location  hereafter  made  shall  exceed  two  imndred 
feet  in  length  along  the  vein  for  each  locator,  with  an  additional 
claim  for  discovery  to  the  discoverer  of  the  lode,  with  the  right  to 
follow  such  vein  to  any  depths  with  all  its  dips,  variations,  and 
angles,  together  with  a  reasonable  quantity  of  surface  for  the  con- 
venient working  of  the  same,  as  fixed  by  local  rules ;  And  provided 
further,  That  no  person  may  make  more  than  one  location  on  the 
same  lode,  and  not  more  than  three  thousand  feet  shall  be  taken  in 
any  one  claim  by  any  association  of  persons. 

Sec.  5.  That,  as  a  further  condition  of  sale,  in  the  absence  of 
necessary  legislation  by  Congress,  the  local  Legislature  of  any  State 
or  Territory  may  provide  rules  for  working  mines  involving  ease- 
ments, drainage,  and  other  necessary  means  to  their  complete  de- 
velopment; and  those  conditions  shall  be  fully  expressed  in  the 
patent. 

Sec.  6.  That  whenever  any  adverse  claimants  to  any  mine  located 
and  claimed  as  aforesaid  shall  appear  before  the  approval  of  the  sur- 
vey, as  provided  in  the  third  section  of  this  act,  all  proceedings  shall 
be  stayed  until  a  final  settlement  and  adjudication  in  the  Courts  of 
competent  jurisdiction  of  the  rights  of  possession  to  such  claim,  when 
a  patent  may  issue  as  in  other  cases 

Sec.  7.  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  and  is  hereby 
authorized  to  establish  additional  land  districts,  and  to  appoint  the 
necessary  officers  under  existing  laws,  whenever  he  may  deem  the 
same  necessary  for  the  public  convenience  in  executing  the  provi- 
sions of  this  act. 

Sec.  8.  That  the  right  of  way  for  the  construction  of  highways 
over  public  lands,  not  reserved  for  public  uses,  is  hereby  granted. 

Sec.  9.  That  whenever,  by  priority  of  possession,  rights  to  the 


286 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


use  of  water  for  mining,  agricultural,  manufacturing,  or  other  pur- 
poses, have  vested  and  accrued,  and  the  same  are  recognized  and 
acknoH^edged  by  the  local  customs,  laws,  and  the  decisions  of 
courts,  tr."  i-ossessors  and  owners  of  such  vested  rights  shall  be 
maintained  and  protected  in  the  same ;  and  the  right  of  way  for  the 
construction  of  ditches  and  canals  for  the  purpose  aforesaid  is  hereby 
acknowledged  and  confirmed :  Provided,  however,  That  whenever, 
after  the  passage  of  this  act,  any  person  or  persons  shall,  in  the  con- 
struction of  any  ditch  or  canal,  injure  or  damage  the  possession  of 
any  settler  on  the  public  domain,  the  party  committing  such  injury 
or  damage  shall  be  liable  to  the  party  injured  for  such  injury  or 
damage. 

Sec.  id.  That  whenever,  prior  to  the  passage  of  this  act,  upon 
the  lands  heretofore  designated  as  mineral  land,  which  have  been 
excluded  from  survey  and  sale,  there  have  been  homesteads  made  by 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  persons  who  have  declared  their 
intention  to  become  citizens,  which  homesteads  have  been  made, 
improved,  and  used  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  upon  which  there 
have  been  no  valuable  mines  of  gold,  silver,  cinnabar,  or  copper 
discovered,  and  which  are  properly  agricultural  lands,  the  said  set- 
tlers or  owners  of  such  homesteads  shall  have  a  right  of  preemption 
thereto,  and  shaU  be  entitled  to  purchase  the  same  at  the  price  of 
one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  and  in  quantity  not  to 
exceed  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres;  or  said  parties  may  avail 
themselves  of  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  Congress,  approved  May 
20,  1862,  entitled  "An  act  to  secure  homesteads  to  actual  settlers 
on  the  public  domain,"  and  acts  amendatory  thereof. 

Sec.  II.  That  upon  the  survey  of  the  lands  aforesaid,  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior  may  designate  and  set  apart  such  portions  of 
the  said  lands  as  are  clearly  agricultural  lands,  which  lands  shall 
thereafter  be  subject  to  preemption  and  sale  as  other  public  lands 
of  the  United  States,  and  subject  to  all  the  laws  and  regulations 
applicable  to  the  same. 

The  manner  of  acquiring  title  to  and  possession  of 
the  mines  of  California  and  other  parts  of  the  country 
has  been  very  simple.  On  the  miner  discovering  a 
location  that  presented  inducements  sufficient  to  war- 
rant labor  he  measured  off  a  "claim."     If  no  "district" 


MINING  LAWS. 


287 


had  already  been  formed,  a  meeting  of  the  miners  "in 
camp"  was  called  and  a  recorder  elected,  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  reside  in  the  vicinity  and  keep  a.  book  in 
which  he  would  make  a  record  of  all  mines  "located" 
in  the  district.  At  this  meeting  the  size  of  the  claim  to 
be  iield,  the  amount  of  labor  to  be  performed  in  order 
to  hold  the  mine,  and  all  other  rules  necessary  to  the 
mining  interests  of  the  district  were  passed;  and  these, 
if  not  in  violation  of  statute  law,  or  the  Constitution  of 
the  State,  were  recognized  as  law  in  each  mining  dis- 
trict, and  courts  acted  upon  and  recognized  them  as 
bindiiig  upon  all  concerned.  When  a  claim  was  located, 
a  wr;  :ten  notice  would  be  posted  on  one  corner  upon  a 
stake  driven  in  the  ground;  this  notice  giving  the  name 
of  the  owner  or  owners,  with  the  size  and  courses  of 
the  claim,  and  the  "laws"  of  the  district  gave  the  miner 
title  to  either  work  or  sell  his  claim. 

Titles  under  these  regulations  have  constituted  the 
sole  right  to  all  the  mines  in  the  States  and  Territories 
of  the  Pacific  coast  prior  to  the  act  of  Congress  of 
1866;  and,  as  comparatively  few  have  sought  title  to 
their  mines  under  this  act,  the  great  body  of  mines  in 
the  country  are  held,  worked,  and  sold  under  these 
primitive  laws  of  the  miners.  In  all  the  States  and 
Territories  the  Legislatures  have  enacted  laws  in  har- 
mony with  the  interests  of  the  miners,  and  conforming 
as  nigh  as  possible  to  the  general  features  of  the  mining 
rules  and  prevailing  custom  of  the  miners. 

Through  the  mining  regions  of  the  country  agricul- 
ture and  every  other  branch  of  industry  is  subordinate 
to  mining:  mills,  dwellings,  streets,  churches,  factories, 
orchards,  gardens,  wheat-fields,  and  even  the  grave- 
yard, are  invaded  by  the  shovel,  pick,  and  sluice  of  the 


288 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


miner,  custom  and  law  recognizing  his  right  to  pursue 
the  precious  metals  wherever  he  can  find  them  on  the 
public  domain,  being  responsible  only  for  actual  dam- 
ages to  individual  property. 

In  conformity  with  the  liberal  institutions  of  the 
United  States,  the  government  has  from  the  earliest 
period  thrown  open  her  mineral  land;  to  the  free  and 
unrestricted  use  of  all  persons  residing  in  the  country, 
without  exacting  a  fee,  royalty,  or  tax  of  any  descrip- 
tion; but,  in  the  law  of  1866,  it  is  provided  that  citizens 
only,  or  persons  having  made  a  declaration  of  intention 
of  citizenship,  can  obtain  difee  simple  title  to  mines. 

Many  of  the  States  and  Territories,  regardless  of 
the  title  of  the  United  States  to  the  mines  within  their 
limits,  have  enacted  laws  taxing  aliens  employed  in 
mining  either  on  their  own  account  or  for  others  A 
statute  of  California  imposed  a  tax  of  four  dollars  per 
month  upon  each  alien  engaged  in  mining  for  gold  or 
silver  in  the  State.  The  law,  however,  was  not  gener- 
ally enforced,  except  upon  the  Chinese,  great  numbers 
of  whom  are  engaged  in  working  over  the  mines  long 
since  deserted  by  the  whites.  Generally,  throughout 
all  the  States  and  Territories,  any  white  man  could 
work  the  mines  without  molestation  or  tax.  In  some 
mining  districts  of  California,  and  other  parts  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  there  were  laws  prohibiting  aliens  from 
holding  mines  in  their  own  names;  but  such  instances 
were  rare,  and  were  intended  to  discourage  Chinese 
miners  only. 

The  recent  amendments  to  the  Federal  Constitution, 
and  the  laws  of  the  National  Congress  declaring  and 
guaranteeing  to  every  person  residing  in  the  republic, 
regardless  of  birthplace  or  nationality,  equal  rights  be- 


MINING  LAWS. 


289 


fore  and  equal  protection  of  the  laws,  have  rendered 
void  the  StatL,  and  mining-district  laws  imposing  a  tax 
upon  or  prohibiting  any  class  of  persons  from  any  of 
the  rights  or  privileges  enjoyed  by  others;  and,  in  1870, 
put  an  end  to  the  collection  of  the  foreign  miners'  tax 
in  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  laws  of  most  countries 
prohibit  aliens  from  mining  except  by  license  or  permit 
from  constituted  authority,  and  few,  if  any,  nations  ii 
the  world  will  permit  an  alien  to  obtain  a  fee  simple  to 
mineral  lands.  A  royal  decree  of  the  King  of  Spain, 
published  in  the  year  1783,  and  still  in  force  in  the 
republic  of  Mexico,  contains  the  follov/ing  clause: 

"Chapter  VII,  Section  i.  To  all  the  subjects  in  my  dominions, 
both  in  Spain  and  the  Indies,  of  whatever  rank  and  condition  they 
may  be,  I  grant  the  mines  of  every  species  of  metal,  under  the 
conditions  already  stated  or  that  shall  be  expressed  hereafter;  but  I 
prohibit  foreigners  from  acquiring  or  working  mines  as  their  own 
property  in  these  my  dominions,  unless  they  be  naturalized  or  tol- 
erated therein  by  my  express  royal  license." 

As  an  illustration  of  the  decline  of  mining  in  the  in- 
terior, and  of  the  growing  disinclination  to  collect  a 
mining  tax,  even  of  the  Chinese  miners,  the  amount  of 
taxes  collected  during  the  past  few  years  will  serve. 
The  amount  of  foreign  miners'  license  collected,  during 
the  year  1868,  in  California,  was  ^60,443;  while  the 
amount  collected  in  1869  was  but  ^11,840.20:  but  a 
trifle  over  one-fifth  of  the  amount  collected  in  the  pre- 
ceding year. 

PHYSICAL  STRUCTURE. 

The  physical  structure  of  California  clearly  indicates 
the  volcanic  origin  of  the  Sierras  ;  and  the  great  mineral- 
producing  belt,  stretching  from  Cape  Horn  to  Behring 

strait,  and  the  sudden  eruptions  in  the  Andes,  Hawaiian 
19 


^90 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


islands,  Iceland's  Geysers,  and  Mount  Hood,  demon- 
strate that  the  interior  forces  which  pushed  up  Mount 
Shasta,  and  elevated  the  Sierras  from  mother  earth's 
bosom,  still  have  an  existence.  The  treasure  of  Peru, 
Chili,  Central  America,  Mexico,  Colorado,  Arizona, 
Nevada,  California,  Oregon,  Idaho,  Montana,  Washing- 
ton Territory,  British  Columbia,  and  Alaska,  all  belong 
to  the  great  mother  vein  whose  rich  mineral  deposits 
of  gold  and  silver  give  more  mineral  wealth  than  all 
the  rest  of  the  world. 

In  California,  the  gold  and  silver  producing  range  is 
chiefly  confined  to  the  Sierras,  which,  on  their  eastern 
side,  throw  out  the  immense  silver  wealth  of  Nevada, 
and,  upon  their  western  slope,  hold  in  their  stern  granite 
embrace  the  gold  of  California.  The  Coast  Range, 
extending  the  length  of  tiie  State,  and  forming  a  chain 
along  the  sea-coast  of  from  eight  tO  twenty  miles  in 
width,  possesses  none  of  the  precious  metals,  except  in 
a  few  places  where  detached  portions  of  the  Sierras 
have  been  carried  toward  the  west,  or  where  spurs  of 
this  chain  push  down  to  the  sea,  as  they  do  in  Del 
Norte  and  San  Diego  counties.  But,  although  the 
precious  metals  are  not  found  in  the  Coast  Range  to 
any  great  extent,  other  minerals  of  value  are  found 
there  in  great  abundance — coal,  copper,  tin,  quicksilver, 
lead,  asphaltum,  borax,  sulphur,  salt,  alum,  arsenic, 
antimony,  gypsum,  epsom  salts,  petroleum,  soda,  and 
many  others. 

The  valley  formation  of  California  consists  of  a  deep 
loam  and  sand,  with  but  little  clay.  In  portions  of  the 
valleys  a  black,  tough  adobe  soil  is  found :  it  is  very 
productive,  but  being  generally  in  low  places,  where 
the  water  stands  until  late  in  the  spring,  it  is  either  too 


the 


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PHYSICAL   STRUC7URE. 


291 


wet  for  cultivation  or,  when  the  waters  leave  it,  bakes 
and  cracks  with  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Through  portions 
of  the  low  foot-hills  tough  clay  Is  found ;  in  other  por- 
tions of  the  foot-hills,  sandy  and  gravelly  ridges  of  little 
value.  But  the  greater  part  of  the  foot-hills  and  the 
slopes  of  the  Sierras  are  fit  for  cultivation,  and  contain 
the  best  grape  and  fruit  lands  in  the  State.  Along  the 
chief  rivers,  bays,  and  sloughs  of  the  State,  vast  areas 
are  overflowed  with  salt  water,  or  with  the  water  from 
rivers  and  interior  lakes ;  and,  toward  the  southeastern 
portion  of  the  State,  the  beds  of  ancient  lakes,  sandy 
and  alkaline  deserts,  occupy  a  considerable  space. 


292 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Climate — Seasons — Heat  and  cold — Winter  in  the  Sierras — Trade- 
winds — Animal  vitality-— Summti '  in  the  Sierras  and  valleys — 
Rain-fall  compared  with  other  parts  of  the  world — Flowers  of  the 
valleys^ — Spring-time — Wheat-fields — Agriculture — Harvesting — 
Planting  and  sowing— Volunteer  crops — Straw-burning — Storms 
and  hurricanes — Sand  storms. 

CLIMATE    AND    SEASONS. 

No  State  In  the  Union  nor  country  in  the  world  pos- 
sesses such  diversity  of  climate  as  California.  Within 
her  limits  can  be  found  the  genial  rays  of  the  tropical 
sun,  the  fogs  and  damps  of  England,  and  the  eternal 
snows  of  the  Alps,  with  every  shade  and  degree  of  tem- 
perature between  these  degrees  blended  into  each  other 
and  extending  their  duration  through  every  month  in 
the  year.  Throughout  the  vast  agricultural  valleys 
and  Coast  Range  regions  the  climate  is  most  genial: 
frost  and  snow  are  rarely  seen,  and  time  seems  to  pass 
in  the  uninterrupted  course  of  protracted  summer. 
Autumn  may  bring  its  golden  harvest,  winter  its  re- 
freshing showers,  spring  its  verdure,  and  summer  its 
heat;  but  all  these  are  so  blended  and  portions  of  each 
season  carried  into  the  others  that  it  may  be  said  that, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Sierra  mountains,  the  climate 
of  California  is  perpetual  summer.  Wheat-fields  green 
in  January,  in  head  in  March,  and  ripe  in  June ;  vege- 
tables growing  ever)'  day  in  the  year ;  new  potatoes  in 
February  and  strawberries  in  March;  tender  lambs 
gambolling  upon  the  sward  in  December  and  January ; 
and  sheep-shearing  in  February  and  March,  may  indi- 
cate the  genial  climate  of  a  land  whose  clear  sky,  invig- 


CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS. 


293 


orating  atmosphere,  and  hearty,  genial  people  are  never 
forgot^^sn  by  those  who  have  ever  lived  in  the  country — 
a  region  always  to  be  spoken  of  as  the  beautiful  sunny 
landy  whose  gorgeous  Verdure,  rich  soil,  variegated 
forests,  unsurpassed  productiveness,  and  joyous  crystal 
streams  whose  dimpled  currents  are  never  congealed 
by  the  pinching  frosts  of  winter,  render  California  a 
land  most  desirable  for  the  abode  of  man. 

California  beyond  doubt  is  the  favorite  spot  of  earth, 
where  nature  has  dealt  her  bounties  with  most  lavish 
hand  to  proclaim  her  supreme  power  and  adorn  most 
luxuriantly  her  footstool — a  land  whose  wheat-fields 
of  June,  clustering  grapes  of  October,  and  orange  groves 
of  February  are  presided  over  by  the  gentle  Ceres,  who, 
no  longer  dreading  the  abduction  of  her  daughter,  the 
fair  Proserpine^  by  the  ungallant  Pluto,  has  chosen  her 
terrestrial  abode  in  the  isunny  land  of  California. 

The  climate  of  California  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes :  that  of  the  Coast  Range,  of  the  interior  valleys, 
and  of  the  Sierras.  The  climate  of  the  coast  and  about 
San  Francisco  is  perhaps  the  most  evenly  tempered 
in  the  world — cool,  invigorating,  and  embracing.  This 
evenness  of  climate  and  temperature  extends  the  whole 
length  of  the  State,  with  but  little  variation  during  the 
year.  At  San  Francisco,  which  locality  can  be  taken  as 
indicating  the  average  of  the  coast  temperature,  the 
average  of  winter  is  52°,  and  of  summer  64°,  and  the 
annual  average  about  56°.  The  lowest  point  reached 
at  San  Francisco  c?uring  the  past  twenty-one  years  was 
in  January,  1864,  when  the  thermometer  descended  to 
25°  at  the  coldest  time  during  the  twenty-four  hours, 
and  stood  at  37°  at  noon  on  the  same  occasion.  Duiflng 
the  same  period  (twenty-one  years)  the  hottest  da^s 


294 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


were  on  the  loth  and  nth  of  September,  1852,  when 
the  thermometer  indicated  97°  and  98°.  Other  hot  days 
have  been  experienced  at  San  Francisco,  but  none  to 
equal  the  time  mentioned  in  1852.  In  July,  1855,  ^^ 
thermometer  reached  90°,  and  in  October,  1864,  and 
September,  1865,  reached  91°.  The  next  highest  point 
was  reached  on  the  6th  of  July,  1867,  when  the  ther- 
mometer indicated  93°.  Such  extremes  are  very  rare, 
as  well  as  the  extreme  of  the  mercury  falling  below  the 
freezing  point  at  or  south  of  San  Francisco.  Indeed, 
at  and  south  of  this  point,  the  climate  may  be  termed 
perpetual  summer ;  flower  gardens,  shrubs,  and  grass 
being  as  verdant  and  fragrant  in  January  as  in  June. 

The  seasons  in  California  seem  to  be  the  reverse  of 
the  seasons  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  December, 
at  which  time  the  rains  have  fully  set  in  and  the  season 
when  winter  develops  its  severity  in  most  parts  of  the 
.  world,  and  the  succeeding  months  until  May  are  termed 
winter,  or  the  "  rainy  season,"  in  California.  About  the 
middle  of  November  the  rains  begin  to  fall  in  the  valleys, 
and  the  Sierras  receive  their  new  fleecy  robes  of  winter, 
the  skirts  of  which  grow  thin  and  ragged  as  they  reach 
down  the  western  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  range,  until 
they  entirely  disappear  at  the  edge  of  the  green  sward, 
where  under  the  same  sun,  and  in  the  same  latitude 
and  longitude,  the  icicle  and  the  honeysuckle  struggle 
for  the  mastery  —  where  the  cold  fingers  of  winter 
pinch  the  blooming  cheeks  of  spring.  During  this 
period,  and  while  the  tall  pines  groan  under  their  burden 
of  snow,  and  the  fierce  gales  sweep  over  the  jagged 
peaks  of  the  Sierras,  and  the  miner  seeks  the  shelter 
of  his  log-cabin,  makes  his  tedious  journey  up  the  moun- 
tain sides  v/ith  his  broad  snow-shoes,  or,  with  sledded 


CLIMATE  AND  SEASONS. 


295 


feet,  sweeps  down  the  crusted  glade,  in  the  valley  below 
the  farmer  guides  the  plow,  tender  shoots  of  buds  and 
grass  welcome  the  refreshing  showers,  and  waving 
fields  of  grain,  blossoms,  spreading  trees,  and  warbling 
birds  proclaim  the  presence  of  spring.  Through  the 
winter  months,  or  rainy  season,  farmer':  put  in  all  their 
seed :  wheat,  barley,  and  oats  are  sown  from  November 
to  May,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  grain  is  sown  before 
the  end  of  February ;  generally  the  early  sown  grain 
produces  the  most  abundant  harvests,  and  grain  sown 
in  November  and  December  requires  but  about  one- 
half  of  the  seed  of  that  sown  later  in  the  season. 

California  during  the  rainy  season  is  exempt  from 
the  prevailing  summer  winds  which  sweep  in  from  the 
Pacific  ocean,  and  the  whole  country  west  of  the  Sierras 
and  to  the  ocean  is  mantled  in  green.  It  must  not  be 
understood  that  it  rains  all  the  time  during  the  rainy 
season :  on  the  contrary,  the  weather  is  very  fine,  not 
raining  more  than  one  day  out  of  four,  and  a  great 
portion  of  the  time  the  sun  shines  bright,  the  air  is 
balmy,  and  altogether  the  weather  is  beautiful ;  and 
what  seems  most  strange  is,  that  the  rain  falls  generally 
at  night.  Throughout  this  season  the  air  is  so  balmy 
that  men  work  in  the  fields  and  in  shops  and  stores  in 
their  shirt-sleeves,  and  throughout  the  whole  State, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Sierra  range,  in  winter  the 
doors  of  stores  and  other  buildings  are  never  closed, 
and  in  many  instances  the  whole  fronts  of  establish- 
ments are  open  and  goods  displayed  in  great  profu- 
sion, giving  an  oriental  aspect  to  the  business  marts  of 
the  country. 

Once  or  twice  during  each  winter,  ice,  the  thickness 
of  window-glass,  forms  at  and  about  San  Francisco,  and 


296 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


white  frost  is  often  visible;  but  persons  who  do  not' 
rise  early  may  live  a  lifetime  in  California  without  seeing 
ice,  frost,  or  snow,  unless  the  snowy  caps  of  the  moun- 
tains are  visible. 

Winter  even  in  its  intensest  form  in  California  is  not 
severe,  and  even  the  dreaded  Sierras,  which  have  been 
the  theme  of  unguarded  writers,  and  represented  as  a 
chain  of  relentless  icebergs,  are  mild  in  comparison 
with  the  winters  of  New  York,  New  England,  and 
Canada :  the  severest  weather  of  midwinter  is  not  so 
cold  in  the  Sierras  as  the  weather  of  the  early  part  of 
the  month  of  March  in  New  York. 

Snow  falls  to  a  great  depth  on  the  Sierras — from 
three  to  thirty  feet;  but  much  of  the  lowlands  and 
valleys  of  this  range  receive  but  little  snow,  and  catde 
in  some  instances  live  in  the  mountains  the  year  round 
without  the  aid  of  man. 

The  area  of  California  is  so  great  and  the  climate  so 
diversified  at  the  different  localities,  even  at  the  same 
season  of  the  year,  that  a  few  hours  travel  at  any  time 
will  carry  a  person  into  a  variety  of  climates.  For  a 
distance  interiorwards  of  fifty  miles  from  the  ocean, 
along  the  length  of  the  State,  it  is  damp  and  cool,  with 
high  winds  during  the  entire  summer  months.  During 
the  latter  part  of  each  day  during  this  season  (June, 
July,  August,  September,  and  October)  immense  clouds 
and  banks  of  fog  roll  up  from  the  Pacific  ocean  before 
a  stiff  westerly  breeze,  keeping  every  thing  in  the  tier 
of  coast  counties  damp  and  their  population  clad  in 
warm  garments ;  while  the  interior  valley  counties  are 
parched,  and  their  inhabitants,  in  thin  linen,  are  stewing 
in  fretful  unrest  and  perspiration. 

In  the  interior  valley  counties  hay  is  cut  in  May  and 


CinrATE  AAD  SEASONS. 


297 


grain  In  June;  while  in  the  Coast  Range,  owing  to  the 
cold  prevailing  northwest  winds  and  the  fogs,  hay  is  not 
cut  until  June  and  July,  and  the  grain  crop  is  from  two 
to  five  weeks  later  than  in  the  interior.  It  is  these 
prevailing  winds  and  fogs  passing  through  the  Golden 
Gate  and  breaking  over  the  city  of  San  Francisco  that 
keep  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  through  the  summer 
months  clad  in  heavy  woollens  and  furs,  and  their 
throats  and  lungs  irritated  with  severe  colds,  while  they 
struggle  amidst  whirlwinds  thick  with  dust  and  fog. 

The  prevailing  or  trade-winds  of  the  coast  generally 
begin  to  be  felt  in  June  and  continue  until  October. 
During  this  period  it  is  generally  calm  through  the 
nights  and  until  the  middle  of  the  day;  at  about  noon 
the  winds  set  in  strong,  and  from  that  time  until  sunset 
it  blows  a  gale;  with  the  setting  of  the  sun  it  grows 
calm  again,  and  continues  so  until  the  late  forenoon  of 
the  following  day. 

During  the  dry  season,  and  while  the  entire  coast-line 
for  from  ten  to  thirty  miles  interiorwards  is  enveloped 
in  fog  and  bathed  in  mist,  the  climate  of  the  interior 
valleys  is  intensely  dry  and  hot.  In  the  San  Joaquin, 
Sacramento,  Santa  Clara,  Sonoma,  and  Napa  valleys, 
neither  the  fogs  nor  the  prevailing  winds  of  the  Coast 
Range  are  felt. 

Throughout  the  long  summer,  while  the  population 
of  the  Coast  Range  lives  amidst  fleeting  clouds  of  fog 
that  sweep  across  and  often  obscure  the  sun,  inside  the 
fog  range,  through  the  great  interior  valleys  and  up 
into  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras,  the  sun  pours  down 
his  rays  in  uninterrupted  golden  floods,  parching  the 
earth,  which,  for  six  months — from  May  to  November 
—does  not  receive  a  drop  of  rain,  nor  even  does  a 


298 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


cloud  obscure  the  sun  for  a  moment,  which,  through  all 
the  long  days  of  summer,  from  early  morning  until  the 
close  of  day,  sweeps  like  a  flame  of  fire  across  the 
horizon.  So  great  is  the  heat  that,  during  the  middle 
of  each  day,  vegetation  is  as  if  scorched,  and  droops, 
limber  and  wilted;  but  with  the  setting  of  the  sun  the 
air  becomes  cool,  and  the  night,  which  is  almost  cold, 
brings  with  it  copious  dews,  which  invigorate  vegeta- 
tion and  refresh  all  animate  life,  so  that  the  coolness 
of  the  nights  counteracts  the  great  heat  of  the  day; 
and,  although  the  thermometer  stands  often  at  80°, 
100°,  and  even  120°,  in  the  shade,  and  the  air  is  so  hot 
that  it  seems  to  burn  the  lungs  and  throat  in  inhaling 
it,  yet  neither  man  nor  beast  seems  to  be  oppressed  nor 
to  relax  their  vigor,  but  each  performs  his  labor  with 
unabated  vitality.  Cattle  and  horses  taken  from  the 
plow  are  not  jaded  and  panting  with  fatigue,  and  a 
California  horse  under  the  saddle  will  carry  his  rider 
eighty,  a  hundred,  and  even  a  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
in  a  day,  often  over  a  rough  country,  and  continue  his 
journey  at  these  rates  of  speed  for  many  days  in  suc- 
cession. 

However  hot  the  air,  it  is  not  oppressive,  and  men 
working  in  the  mines,  gulches,  and  fields  under  a 
scorching  sun  do  not  experience  fatigue;  and  there 
being  no  such  thing  as  a  hot  night  known  in  California, 
none  of  the  inconveniences  of  hot  weather,  such  as  are 
experienced  in  other  quarters,  are  felt  here. 

The  cool  nights,  bracing  atmosphere,  genial  climate, 
nourishing  food,  and  pure  water  of  California  infuse  a 
physical  vitality  into  all  animate  nature  not  equalled  on 
any  other  part  of  the  globe :  beyond  all  question  man 
and   beast,  the   year  through,  possess   from  twenty- 


CLIMATE  AND   SEASONS. 


299 


five  to  fifty  per  cent,  more  motive  power  than  is  pos- 
sessed by  man  or  beast  elsewhere. 

Disease  among  horses  and  cattle  is  almost  unknown 
in  California,  and  few  of  the  complaints  that  cripple  and 
render  horses  useless  in  other  countries  are  ever  seen 
here :  ringbone  and  spavin  are  unheard  of,  and  a 
sickly,  thin  horse  is  a  thing  rarely  to  be  met  with.  On 
the  contrarj'',  horses  are  healthy,  well-knit,  and  muscu- 
lar, with  great  spirit  and  vitality.  The  fleet-footed 
Spanish  or  half-breed  horse  of  California,  with  muscle 
of  iron,  foaming  mouth,  dilating  nostril,  and  flaming 
eye,  is  the  pride  of  the  horseman. 

Winter  in  the  Sierras  has  already  been  described. 
But  the  reader  must  not  suppose  that  summer  does  not 
smile  in  these  aerial  regions :  here  to  the  beauties  of 
the  climate  of  the  valleys  are  added  dense  forests,  luxu- 
riant foliage,  green  meadows,  and  crystal  streams.  By 
the  first  of  May,  the  snows  have  disappeared  from  the 
whole  range  except  a  few  patches  high  up  among  the 
rocky  peaks  and  in  the  deep  clefts  on  the  northern 
slope  of  the  mountains.  The  air  is  balmy,  mild,  and 
refreshing.  As  summer  passes  and  the  valleys  below 
are  parched,  these  mountains  still  retain  their  verdure, 
and  through  the  long,  hot  summers  of  the  valleys  the 
Sierras  are  green,  their  forests  musical  with  singing 
birds,  and  their  lakes  and  natural  wonders  the  resort 
of  thousands  of  the  pleasure-seeking  inhabitants  of  the 
dusty  plains. 

The  Sierras  are  by  no  means  a  rocky  and  sterile 
waste :  their  lofty  granite  domes  and  scarred  precipi- 
tous walls  are  uninviting  as  the  home  of  man ;  but  a 
great  portion  of  this  range  consists  of  rich  valleys  and 
rolling  hills,  where  meadows,  waving  fields  of  grain,  and 


PI 


300 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


luxuriant  grapes  and  fruits  surround  the  many  happy 
homes,  whose  prosperity  attests  the  value  of  the  Sierras 
as  a  future  place  of  permanent  abode.  Rich  meadows 
of  great  extent  are  nestled  in  among  the  mountains  of 
the  Sierra  range,  and  great  quantities  of  natural  hay  are 
annually  cut.  The  wide  pasture-range  of  the  Sierra*; 
serves  as  a  most  welcome  retreat  to  the  famished 
cattle  and  sheep  of  the  dusty  valleys,  which  in  great 
numbers  are  driven  up  from  the  parched  plains  during 
the  summer  months. 

As  the  heat  of  summer  differs  in  different  parts  of 
the  State,  so  the  rainfall  is  graduated,  and  differs  in  ex- 
tent, decreasing  in  regular  order  from  north  to  south, 
only  about  one-half  as  much  rain  falling  at  San  Diego 
as  at  San  Francisco,  and  about  half  as  much  at  San 
Francisco  as  at  Humboldt.  The  annual  rainfall  at 
San  Diego  is  ten  and  a-half  inches;  at  Monterey,  twelve 
inches;  while  at  San  Francisco  it  is  twenty-one  and 
a-half  inches;  Humboldt,  thirty-four  and  a-half  inches; 
at  Astoria,  Oregon,  it  is  eighty-six  and  a-half  inches; 
Steilacoom,  Washington  Territory,  fifty-two  inches ;  and 
at  Sitka,  ninety  inches.  This  latter  is  perhaps  as  large 
an  average  rainfall  as  is  found  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
There  are  points  in  the  interior  of  California  where  as 
high  as  one  hundred  and  forty  inches  have  fallen  in  a 
single  year,  but  of  course  the  average  is  much  less. 
The  annual  rainfall  at  Sacramento  is  eighteen  and 
a-quarter  inches;  at  Benicia,  twenty-three  inches;  at 
Stockton,  sixteen  inches.  The  smallest  rainfall  in  the 
State  of  California,  if  not  in  the  United  States,  is  at 
Fort  Yuma,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Colorado,  and  in 
the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the  State:  three  and 
a-quarter  inches  is  the  average  annual  fall  at  this  point. 


nd 
at 

the 
at 

din 


CLIMATE  AND  RAINFALL. 

« 


301 


A  comparison  between  the  rainfall  of  California  and 
oth^r  parts  of  the  world  may  be  interesting  to  the 
reader.  At  Cincinnati  the  annual  fall  is  eighty-six  and 
a-quarter  inches;  Bordeaux,  thirty-four  inches;  Ma- 
deira, thirty  nine  inches;  Liverpool,  thirty  four  inches; 
Paris,  twenty-two  and  a-half  inches;  Rome,  thirty-one 
inches;  Portland,  Maine,  forty -five  and  a-quarter 
inches;  New  York  city,  forty-three  and  a-half  inches;  St. 
Louis,  forty-two  inches;  New  Orleans,  fifty-one  inches; 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  thirty-six  inches;  Boston,  Mass., 
thirty-five  inches;  Newport,  R.  I.,  fifty-two  inches;  Fort 
Pike,  La.,  seventy-two  inches ;  Vancouver,  Washington 
Territory,  forty-five  inches;  Fort  Conrad,  New  Mexico, 
six  an''  three-quarter  inches. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  figures  here  given  that  the 
rainfall  of  California  is  less  than  one-half  of  the  average 
fall  of  the  Atlantic  States,  and  one-third  less  than  the 
average  fall  of  the  great  wine-producing  regions  of 
Europe ;  about  equal  to  that  of  Paris,  and  less  than 
Liverpool  and  Rome ;  and  Oregon,  noted  for  its  rainy 
winters,  averages  only  about  as  much  as  the  central 
portion  of  the  Atlantic  States. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  annual  rainfall  at 
San  Francisco  for  each  year  during  the  past  twenty- 
three  years,  and  the  fall  of  each  rainy  season: 


SEASON.  KAIN. 

18-49-50, 33.10 

1850-51, 7.18 

1851-52, 19.25 

1852-53,  ......     33.20 

i853-54» 23-87 

i854-5S> 23.68 

X855-56, 21.66 

1856-57, 19.88 


YEAR.  DAIIf. 

1849, 18.00 

1850 2.30 

185? 15.12 

1852, 25.60 

1853.' 19-03 

1854, 22.12 

1855, 27.80 

1856, 22.01 


302 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


RAIN. 


1857-58, 21.81 

1858-59, 22.22 

1859-60, 22.27 

1860-61, I9-72 

1861-62, 49-27 

1862-63, 13.62 

1863-64, 10.08 

1864-65, 24.73 

1865-66, 22.93 

1866-67, 33.84 

1867-68, 40.05 

1868-69, 21.06 

1869-70, 20.08 

1870-71, 14.47 

1871-72, 27.09 


YEAR.  KAIN. 

1857.  .  ' 20.55 

1858, 19.64 

1859, 18.03 

i860, 16.15 

I861, 18.43 

1862, 28.29 

1863 16.68 

1864, 18.55 

1865, 10.50 

1866, 32.98 

1867, .  33.00 

1868, 28.23 

1869, 23.18 

1870, 15.57 

I87I, 23.12 


Within  the  limits  of  California  almost  every  degree 
of  temperature  and  climate  can  be  found.  A  few  hours 
ride  from  San  Francisco,  in  winter,  will  bring  the  trav- 
eller from  blooming  beds  of  flowers  into  the  midst  of 
mountains  of  snow;  so,  in  summer,  two  hours  travel 
will  lead  you  from  the  strong,  cool,  bracing  winds  and 
dense  fogs  of  the  coast  line  into  the  intense  heat  of  the 
valleys,  and  a  few  hours  later  you  can  bathe  your  tem- 
ples in  the  snows  of  the  Sierras  and  the  icy  waters  of 
Lake  Tahoe ;  or,  travelling  south,  you  will  reach  the 
alkaline  flats  of  D»'alh  valley,  and  the  burning  sands 
of  Fort  Yuma — the  hottest  spot  on  the  American  con- 
tinent, if  not  the  ho(l(;st  in  the  world,  where  the  average 
annual  temperature  is  7  V'  I'l  the  shade,  the  thermometer 
often  Hljiiding  lau"  in  tlie  shade  for  a  month  at  a  time. 

The  evenness  of  the  temix^rature  of  lta(|fo|/ila  as  a 
whole  is  unsurpassed  on  tne  globe,  fxcfl/t  \\\  one  or 
two  instances;  and  the  mean  tempenjluff  t\\  Rnn  \'\i\\\ 
cisco  shows  a  climate  varying  but  two  dLgrt:es  \\\\  an 


CLIMATE  AND    TEMPERATURE. 


303 


average  of  the  twelve  months  of  the  year — the  average 
of  January  being  49°,  and  of  June  56°,  the  annual 
average  being  54°.  Fort  Yuma,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Gila  and  Colorado  rivers,  has  a  temperature  in  June  of 
87°,  and  in  January  of  56°,  and  an  annual  temperature 
of  73°;  Sacramento  has  a  temperature  in  June  of  71°, 
and  in  January  of  45°,  with  an  annual  temperature  of  59°. 

Steilacoom,  Washington  Territory,  has  a  temperature 
in  June  of  60°,  and  of  iZ°  in  January,  and  an  annual 
temperature  of  50° ;  the  city  of  Mexico  has  a  tempera- 
tu;  in  June  of  65°;  and  in  January  of  52°,  arid  an  annual 
temperature  of  60°;  New  York,  67°  in  June,  and  31° 
in  January,  and  an  annual  temperature  of  51°;  New 
Orleans,  81°  in  June,  and  55°  in  January,  and  an  annual 
temperature  of  69°;  Honolulu,  77°  in  June,  71^  in  Jan- 
uary, and  an  annual  temperature  of  75°;  London,  58° 
in  June,  37°  in  January,  and  an  annual  temperature  of 
49° ;  Naples,  70^^  in  June,  46°  in  January,  and  ai\  annual 
temperature  of  60° ;  Funchal,  67°  in  June,  60°  i'l  Jan- 
uary, and  an  annual  temperature  of  65°;  Canton.  81° 
in  June,  52°  in  January,  and  an  annual  temperature  ot 
69°  ;  Nagaski,  ']']^  in  June,  43°  in  January,  and  an  annual 
temperature  of  62°  ;  Jerusalem,  71°  in  June,  47°  in  Jan- 
uary, and  an  annual  temperature  of  62°. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  climate  of  California 
resembles  closely  the  favored  lands  of  the  olive,  the  fig, 
and  the  orange ;  and  that  the  climate  of  San  Francisco 
approaches  regularity  the  year  round,  with  greater 
similarity  than  any  place  named  except  Honolulu  and 
Funchal,  and  that  Naples  itself  is  surpassed  by  the 
beautiful  regular  climate  of  the  great  interior  valleys  of 
California,  which,  up  to  the  fortieth  parallel,  (the  south- 
ern line  of  Humboldt  county,)  has  the  annual  average 


304 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


(60°)  of  Asia  Minor,  Central  Italy,  Spain,  and  Northern 
Syria;  while  the  southern  limit  of  the  State,  in  the 
vicinity  of  San  Diego  and  in  the  direction  of  the  Colo- 
rado and  Gila,  has  the  mean  annual  temperature  of 
Cairo  (70°)  and  the  northern  portion  of  Africa;  and  in 
portions  of  the  San  Joaquin  valley.  Death  valley,  and  the 
sandy  deserts  of  the  southern  side  of  San  Bernardino 
county,  adjoining  Arizona  Territory,  we  have  the  sum- 
mer climate  of  the  Great  Desert  of  Sahara. 

California,  in  the  early  part  of  May,  is  the  loveliest 
spot  on  earth :  the  deep  rich  soil  of  the  valleys  and  the 
sides  of  the  hills,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  wave  with 
luxuriant  wheat,  barley,  and  oats  bursting  into  head ; 
while  all  the  unfilled  land — valley,  hills,  and  even  the 
steep  mountain  sides — are  covered  with  wild  oats,  and 
variegated  flowers  of  every  tint  and  hue,  pink  and 
orange  being  the  predominant  colors.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  acres,  bedecked  in  the  charming  robes  of 
spring,  whose  golden  fleece  is  unbroken  by  a  single 
tree,  rock,  or  other  obstruction,  roll  in  seeming  undu- 
lating waves  until  their  outlines  are  lost  in  the  distance. 

It  was  over  these  charming  valleys — a  terrestrial 
paradise — that  the  eye  of  the  pious  missionary  father 
wandered,  as  the  tattooed  aborigines  lazily  wended  their 
way  from  their  mountain  homes  to  the  foot  of  the  cross. 
Here  the  vaquero  coursed  upon  his  fleet  steed,  as  he  cir- 
cled the  countless  herds,  ere  the  invading  hand  of  agri- 
culture turned  the  furrow,  or  the  husbandman  broke  the 
primitive  order  of  nature. 

California  is  eminently  a  land  of  flowers,  and  if  the 
invasion  of  civilization  has  broken  the  natural  beauty 
of  the  vast  valleys  and  rolling  hills  by  the  uniformity  of 
whea .-fields,  vinejards,  orchards,  and  flower-gardens,  it 


SOIL  AND  AGRICULTURE. 


305 


has  introduced  scientific  industry,  refinement,  and  happy 
homes,  whose  intelligent  occupants  subdue  the  sterile 
sand-hills  of  San  Francisco  and  the  arid  plains  of  the 
interior,  where  the  domestic  comforts  of  home  are  in 
strong  contrast  with  the  pastoral  semi-barbarous  lives 
of  the  early  Spanish  settlers  of  the  country,  and  the 
perpetual  bloom  of  the  rose,  lily,  and  honeysuckle  so 
abundant  every  month  in  the  year,  will  compensate  for 
the  partial  loss  of  the  wild  flowers  of  the  vale. 

May  is  the  most  charming  month  in  the  year  in  Cali- 
fornia: the  last  showers  of  spring  invigorate  vegeta- 
tion ;  wheat  is  in  head,  orchards  in  bloom,  every  thing 
green,  bright,  and  clean ;  haying  is  vigorously  prose- 
cuted. By  the  end  of  May  the  wild  flowers  disappear, 
and  June  ushers  in  harvest,  with  rustling  fields  of 
wheat.  At  this  time  grass  and  flowers  are  all  dried  up, 
and  the  whole  face  of  the  country  wears  a  browned  and 
parched  appearance  except  the  oaks,  orchards,  and 
vineyards,  which  latter  retain  their  verdure  until  No- 
vember. The  grass,  which  during  the  dry  season  ssems 
parched,  retains  all  its  strength,  and  instead  of  being 
dead  is  only  cured  by  the  sun,  affording  nutritious 
pasturage  until  die  fall  rains  destroy  it  and  start  the 
new  grass. 

The  great  w^keat-crop  of  Califcmia,  in  some  instances 
consisting  of  ten  thousand  acres  in  a  single  field,  is  cut 
with  reapers  of  the  most  approved  style.  Some  of  these 
machines  clip  only  the  heads  off  tlie  field,  leaving  the 
body  of  the  straw  standing :  the  grain  in  this  form  is 
carried  Erectly  to  the  thresher,  which  is  located  in  the 
op<'n  ficid;  kere  it  is  threshed,  and  put  in  sacks  of 
alwDut  two  hundred  pounds  each.  The  long-continued 
dry  season  has  thoroughly  dried  the  grain  on  foot,  so 


3o6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


that  it  is  ready  for  the  mill,  or  for  shipment  in  bulk  or 
sacks  on  shipboard  to  any  part  of  the  world.  The 
grain  once  in  sacks,  it  is  piled  in  great  heaps  upon  the 
open  field,  where  it  may  remain  secure  from  a  drop  of 
rain  until  November ;  or,  if  it  is  transported  to  shipping 
points,  it  is  piled  up  in  great  heaps  upon  the  piers  and 
wharves  until  it  is  shipped.  So  dry  is  the  grain  that  it 
can  be  taken  directly  from  the  thresher  and  shipped  to 
Liverpool,  China,  or  Australia  without  sustaining  any 
damage,  and  the  mills  in  many  instances  have  to 
dampen  it  before  they  can  grind  it  into  flour.  A 
peculiarity  of  the  wheat  of  California  is,  that  however 
ripe  or'  long  it  stands  in  the  field  it  does  not  shell :  the 
Htde  capsule  which  holds  the  kernel  being  strong,  and 
not  opened  by  rain  or  any  change  in  the  weather. 

In  ordinary  seasons  enough  grain  shells  in  the  hand- 
ling to  make  seed;  and,  should  the  ground  remain 
unploughed,  the  rains  of  winter  will  beat  the  grains  into 
the  mellow  earth,  and  in  a  short  time  a  spontaneous 
crop  will  spring  up:  thus  good  harvests  of  grain  are 
often  obtained  for  two  or  three  seasons  without  either 
ploughing  or  sowing.  But  sowing  every  year,  with 
deep  ploughing  and  summer  fallowing,  as  in  other 
countries,  produces  the  best  crops. 

As  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep  live  out  in  the  open  fields 
during  the  entire  winter  or  rainy  season,  there  is  no  at- 
tention paid  to  saving  straw  or  foddei  of  any  kind, 
except  for  the  towns  and  cities  ;  so  that  the  custom  of 
farmers  all  over  the  State  and  in  Oregon  is,  to  burn 
the  straw  upon  the  field,  and  during  the  fall  months  vast 
fires  can  be  seen  consuming  the  piles  of  straw  where 
the  thresher  stood,  or  sweeping  the  tall  stubble  from  the 
field. 


SOIL  AND  AGRICULTURE. 


307 


-  Farmers,  however,  are  now  beginning  to  learn  the 
folly  of  consuming  what,  in  seasons  of  protracted 
drought,  and  during  the  long  and  sometimes  cold  rains 
of  winter,  might  save  their  stock  from  destruction,  ind 
are  abandoning  the  burning  of  their  straw,  collecting 
it  into  vast  piles  and  stacks,  and  in  some  instances 
erecting  sheds  over  it.  Here,  secure  from  rain  or  from 
the  scorching  heat  of  summer,  cattle  will  collect  and 
feed  freely.  As  the  pasturage  range  is  circumscribed 
by  fencing  and  cultivation,  the  necessity  of  preserving 
every  spear  of  fodder  will  press  itself  upon  the  intelli- 
gent farmer  until  the  folly  of  straw-burning  will  be 
entirely  abandoned. 

Storms  are  very  rare  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  such 
hurricanes  as  sweep  over  the  Atlantic  States  and  por- 
tions of  Europe  are  unknown  Occasionally  a  stiff 
northwest  breeze  is  felt  along  the  coast  line,  and  the 
usually  tranquil  waters  of  the  deep  Pacific  lash  with 
great  fury  upon  the  coast.  But  the  interior  of  the 
whole  country,  through  each  month  of  the  year,  is  calm. 
Along  die  Coast  Range,  fir  trees,  three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  toss  their  lofty  heads  without  the  loss  of  a  limb, 
half-decayed  trees  stand  upon  their  frail  pedestals,  and 
tenements  of  light  boards  are  unmoved.  Fitful  gusts, 
gales,  thunder,  and  hail-storms  are  unknown. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  months  occasional 
claps  of  thunder  may  be  heard  in  the  Sierra  range; 
but  at  San  Francisco  and  throughout  the  body  of  the 
State  thunder  is  not  heard  nor  lightning  seen  more 
than  once  in  each  three  or  four  years,  and  then  but  in 
their  fetblest  forms. 

In  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  State,  where  vast 
alkaline  and  sandy  deserts  stretch  for  leagues,  what  is 


r:i 


til 


ri 


3o8 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


termed  sand  stornis  interrupt  the  traveller  and  fill  the 
air  with  clouds  of  impenetrable  dust.  These  storms 
are  of  but  short  duration,  but  their  violence  strikes  ter- 
ror to  man  and*  beast;  and  when  the  traveller  is  over- 
taken by  one  of  these  storms,  which  obscures  the  sun 
with  volumes  of  dust,  blinds  the  eyes,  and  cuts  the 
cheeks  with  flying  sand  and  gravel,  his  progress  is  im- 
possible: all  former  signs  of  roads  are  obliterated,  and 
the  only  alternative  is  to  come  to  a  halt  and  with 
blanket,  coat,  or  shawl  wrap  head,  face,  and  mouth  of 
man  and  beast  to  prevent  suffocation,  and  lie  still  until 
the  fury  of  the  gale  is  spent 


MPMMP 


AGRICULTURE  AND  COMMERCE. 


309 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Agriculture — ^Manufactures — Commerce — ^First  agriculture  in  Amer- 
ica — Increase  of  agriculture  in  California — Decline  of  mining — 
Decay  of  mining  to^vns — Area  of  California — ^Agricultural  lands — 

,  Spanish  grants — ^Vast  estates — How  to  obtain  public  lands — 
School  lands — ^Who  may  secure  the  public  lands — Grain,  fruit, 
and  vegetable  growing — ^Yield  of  grain  per  acre — Harvesting — 
Wild  oats — ^Wild  mustard  —  Hops — Potatoes — Tobacco — Large 
vegetable  growths— Strawberries-r-Tropical  fruits — Oranges,  figs, 
and  nuts — The  grape — Fertility  of  the  Sierras — ^Tca  culture — 
Beet  sugar — Cotton  and  rice — Silk  culture. 

^  From  the  earliest  history  of  the  human  race  down  to 
the  present  time  no  pursuit  or  occupation  has  so  mate- 
rially aided  in  developing  the  physical,  mental,  and 
moral  condition  of  man  as  that  of  agriculture.  Com- 
merce has  brought  with  it  adventure,  deception,  opu- 
lence, and  power :  so  it  has  induced  craft,  dissipation, 
voluptuousness,  and  vice.  Manufactures  have  stimu- 
lated invention,  introduced  new  and  useful  commodities, 
and,  in  some  instances,  relieved  man  from  oppressive 
physical  labor:  they  have  also  crowded  and  huddled 
people  together  in  the  unwholesome  atmosphere  of 
cities  and  factories,  and  enfeebled  the  race  in  the  pur- 
suit of  the  tinselled  c  isplay  and  allurements  of  wealtJli. 
Art  has  beautified  the  abodes  of  men,  spread  the  broad 
sails  of  commerce,  and  !<:  nt  a  charm  to  life :  so,  too,  it 
has  induced  frivolity,  and,  when  uncontrolled,  has  fear- 
fully pandered  to  the  vices  of  the  times.  Science  has 
gauged  the  celestial  and  terrestrial  bodies,  measured 
the  depths  of  oceans,  the  heights  of  mountains,  and  the 
degrees  of  heat  and  cold ;  analyzed  the  earth,  separated 
and  purified  metals,  traversed  continents,  subdued  the 


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elements,  and  encircled  the  globe :  but  its  ever-craving 
necessities  and  demands  multiply  the  wants  and  cares 
of  man,  ever  pressing  new  claims  and  multiplying  the 
wants  and  labors  of  the  race.  All  these  combined,  or 
in  their  separate  influences,  have  built  and  fostered  our 
large  cities— commerce,  manufacture,  art,  and  science — 
and  our  large  cities  are  the  nurseries  of  disease,  dissipa- 
tion, idleness,  immorality,  crime,  folly,  fashion,  and  sin, 
whose  corrupting  currents  fill  the  prisons,  asylums,  and 
hospitals  of  the  land,  and  swell  from  the  crowded  centres 
of  vice  until  they  trench  upon  the  peaceful  home  of  the 
agriculturalist,  lashing  their  pestilential  foam  from  dock, 
garret,  cellar,  saloon,  prison,  asylum,  and  brothel,  up  to 
the  green  fields  and  producing  fountains  of  the  physical 
supply  of  the  race — the  fields  of  the  farmer ;  and  as  the 
physical  existence  of  the  population  of  both  country  and 
city  depends  entirely  upon  the  agricultural  regions,  so 
the  morality,  virtue,  and  patriotism  of  the  nation  rely 
upon  the  pure  fountains  of  the  rural  districts  to  supply 
the  fast  advancing  national,  social,  moral,  and  physical 
mortality  of  the  crowded  cities  of  the  land. 

The  ever-changing  conditions  of  man  and  the  vicis- 
situdes of  nations,  sudden  revulsions  in  trade,  and  the 
calamities  of  war,  have  fully  demonstrated  that  the 
surest,  foundation  of  individual  and  national  existence 
and  prosperity  is  agriculture.  Without  it  all  else  must 
cease.  Man  may  subsist  for  a  brief  period  by  the 
chase,  but  the  game  and  the  hunter  alike  disappear 
before  the  invading  ploughshare,  as  is  forcibly  illus- 
trated in  the  decline  of  the  aborigines  of  America. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  at  Plymouth, 
their  scanty  stores  of  provisions  were  quite  exhausted, 
and  the  forests  seemed  to  afford  but  little  hope  of  a 


ACfRICULTURE. 


311 


supply  of  game  during  the  approaching  winter  or  the 
coming  spring;  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  feeble  efforts 
in  agriculture  practised  by  the  Indians  before  the  arri- 
val of  the  Mayflower^  the  whole  colony  would  have 
perished. 

The  historian  Moore,  in  describing  the  efforts  of  the 
Pilgrims  to  penetrate  the  forest  in  1 620,  says : 

"Here  they  fomd  a  cellar  carefully  lined  with  bark,  and  covered 
with  a  heap  of  sand,  in  which  about  four  bushels  of  seed-corn  in 
ears  were  well  secured.  After  reasoning  on  the  morality  of  the 
action,  they  took  as  much  of  the  corn  as  they  could  carry,  intending, 
when  they  should  find  the  owners,  to  pay  them  their  satisfaction. 
On  the  third  day  they  f.rrived,  weary  and  welcome,  where  the  ship 
lay,  and  delivered  their  corn  into  the  cf  ;mmon  store.  The  company 
resolved  to  keep  it  for  seed,  and  pay  the  natives  the  full  value  when 
they  should  have  opportunity.  .  .  The  ground  was  frozen  and  cov- 
ered with  snow,  but  the  cellars  were  known  by  heaps  of  sand,  and 
the  frozen  earth  was  penetrated  with  their  swords  till  they  gathered 
corn  to  the  amount  of  ten  bushels.  This  fortunate  supply,  with  a 
quantity  of  beans  preserved  in  the  same  manner,  they  took  on  the 
same  conditions  as  before.  .  *!  Six  months  after,  they  paid  the  own- 
ers to  their  satisfaction.  The  acquisition  of  this  corn  they  always 
regarded  as  a  peculiar  favor  from  Divine  Providence,  without  which 
the  colony  could  not  have  subsisted." 

Lord  Chatham,  in  speaking  of  the  noble  pursuit  of 
agriculture,  said: 

"Trade  increases  the  wealth  and  glory  of  a  country;  but  its  real 
strength  and  stamina  are  to  be  looked  for  among  the  cultivators  of 
the  land.  In  their  simplicity  of  life  is  found  the  simpleness  of 
virtue,  the  integrity  of  courage  and  freedom.  These  true,  genuine 
souls  of  the  earth  are  invincible,  and  they  surround  and  hem  in  the 
mercantile  bodies,  even  if  these  bodies,  which  supposition  I  totally 
disclaim,  could  be  supposed  disaffected  to  the  cause  of  liberty." 

From  the  period  in  which  Adam  was  tending  a  gar- 
den, Cain  tilling  a  farm,  Abel  feeding  his  flocks,  and 


312 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  dove  was  hovering  over  the  ark,  to  the  present 
period,  agriculture  has  been  regarded  in  all  lands  as  the 
noblest  pursuit  of  man.     If  England  looks  to  her  agri- 
cultural regions  for  physical  and  moral  support  in  the 
hour  of  national  danger,  and  calls  for  patriotism  from  a 
peasantry  whose  tenure  of  the  soil  is  subject  to  the  will 
of  a  landlord  whose  mandates  of  ouster  are  executed 
by  ejecting  wife  and   child  and  turning  them  to  the 
mercies  of  the  poor-house,  how  much  more  may  a 
country  look  to  the  tillers  of  the  soil  for  support  where 
every  farmer  is  the  absolute  owner  of  the  land  he  culti- 
vates!    America  does  proudly  look  to  her  agricultural 
districts  as  the  great  conservator  of  the  moral,  physical, 
and  political  strength  of  the  nation;  and  to  no  portion 
can  either  State  or  nation  look  with  greater  confidence 
than  to  the  rich  agricultural  regions  of  California,  where 
the  farmer  is  not  confined  to  fifty  or  a  hundred  acres, 
but  looks  out  upon  his  broad  domain  more  vast  than 
many  of  the  principalities  of  Europe,  and  with  a  climate, 
soil,  and  productiveness  unsurpassed  on  the  globe. 

With  the  decline  of  surface-mining  in  California  came 
the  development  of  the  great  agricultural  resources  of 
the  State,  and  the  explosion  of  the  fallacious  notions  of 
the  early  settlers  that  California  was  a  barren  waste, 
fit  only  for  the  miner  or  the  grazing  of  flocks.  How 
little  did  these  early  adventurers  dream  of  the  change 
soon  to  bt  wrought,  of  the  decay  of  the  mines,  and  the 
spread  of  agriculture,  whose  waving  fields  of  grain, 
vineyards,  orchards,  fruits,  and  flowers  so  enhance  the 
value  and  charms  of  California! 

Throughout  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierras,  the 
foot-hills  and  ridges,  where  once  were  enacted  the  busy 
scenes  of  the  miner's  life,  stand  marked  evidences  of 


cult 


AGRICULTURE. 


313 


the  decline  of  the  precious  metals.  The  scarred  brows 
of  the  mountains,  excavations,  deep  holes,  ridges  of 
gravel,  abandoned  tunnels,  dilapidated  shanties,  saw- 
mills, ditches,  and  flumes,  with  the  general  debris  of 
abandoned  villages  and  mining-camps,  attest  the  unsub- 
stantial character  of  mining. 

In  many  portions  of  the  State,  where,  but  a  few  years 
ago,  towns  sprang  up  as  if  by  magic,  and  scenes  of  ex- 
citement, business,  and  revelry  lent  a  wild  charm  to  the 
busy  life  of  the  miner,  there  is  scarcely  a  sign  of  life  to 
be  seen.  The  wreck  of  the  miner's  tent,  scattered 
fragments  of  the  frail  tenement  of  the  gold-hunter, 
rusty  picks,  shovels,  kettles,  and  pans  attest  the  decline 
of  the  earliest  industry  of  the  State.  Dwellings  that 
cost  many  thousand  dollars  are  worthless  and  stand  un- 
occupied; and  the  "leading"  hotel,  once  crowded  with 
boarders  at  a  dollar  a  meal  and  twenty-five  cents  for 
"drinks,"  where  the  good-natured  miner  and  "mountain- 
man  "  held  their  midnight  orgies,  and  from  which  went 
forth  the  dulcet  strains  of  the  violin,  mingled  with  the 
bacchanalian  shouts  of  the  riotous  throng,  is  now  inhab- 
ited only  by  birds  and  beasts.  In  the  language  of  Cali- 
fornia, these  early  scenes  have  "dried  up."  Long  since 
the  last  door  of  the  hotel  has  been  broken  down,  and 
its  last  pane  of  glass  broken  by  the  idle  passer-by. 
Hogs  raise  their  broods  in  the  basement;  horses, 
mules,  and  cows  seek  shelter  in  the  parlors  and  bar- 
room; while  sheep  and  goats  clatter  up  the  rickety 
stairs  to  the  "bed-rooms,"  and  owls,  hawks,  bats,  and 
swallows  have  undisputed  possession  of  garret,  eave, 
and  chimney. 

The  progress  and  permanent  character  of  this  agri- 
cultural  regions  are   strongly  contrasted  with  these 


3H 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


scenes.  The  early  abode  of  the  farmer  is  replaced  by 
one  of  elegance,  comfort,  and  liixiry;  waving  fields  of 
grain  stretch  out  upon  all  sides,  broken  only  by  the 
thrifty  orchard,  the  vineyard,  and  the  clustering  roses, 
which  lend  a  sweet  charm  to  the  peaceful  home  where 
the  musical  voices  of  happy  children  bless  the  increas- 
ing years  of  fond  parents,  and  the  ripening  fruits  and 
harvests  of  a  bounteous  soil,  genial  climate,  and  well- 
spent  industry  crown  with  success  the  labors  of  the 
tiller  of  the  soil. 

Each  succeeding  year  more  distinctly  marks  the 
boundary  between  the  two  pursuits  of  mining  and  agri- 
culture :  the  former,  steadily  on  the  decline,  leaves  but 
a  wreck  behind,  without  a  shadow  of  hope  for  recupera- 
tive energy,  and  those  who  follow  in  its  seductive 
allurements  generally  find  their  occupation,  credit,  and 
home  ephemeral  in  the  extreme ;  while  the  latter  steadily 
augments  the  wealth  of  the  State,  affords  constant  em- 
ployment and  permanent  homes,  cultivating  not  only 
the  rich  valley  lands  but  daily  extending  its  lines  toward 
the  Sierras,  up  the  ravines,  gulches,  and  foot-hills,  oblit- 
erating the  old  landmarks  of  the  miner,  fencing,  plowing, 
planting,  and  reaping  over  and  around  the  deserted 
ditches,  sluices,  tunnels,  and  Shafts,  and  up  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  highest  mountain  ranges.  So,  too,  year  after 
year  the  agricultural  area  of  the  State  widens,  and  the 
fallacious  notions  of  the  early  settlers  respecting  the 
sterile  nature  of  large  portions  of  the  State  disappear. 
The  truth  is,  that  there  is  but  a  small  proportion  of  the 
vast  area  of  the  State  that  is  not  susceptible  of  cultiva- 
tion or  suited  to  grazing — not  less  than  sixty-five  million 
acres  being  fit  fijr  the  plow.  (For  area,  &c.,  see  Chap- 
ter XIII.) 


AGRICULTURE. 


315 


The  area  of  California  has  not  yet  been  ascertained 
with  exactness.  This  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  coast 
line  of  more  than  nine  hundred  miles,  following  the  in- 
dentations of  the  coast,  has  not  yet  been  exacdy  sur- 
veyed ;  but  the  extent  of  the  State  as  ascertained  is 
188,981  square  miles,  or  120,947,840  acres. 

Of  the  agricultural  lands  of  the  State,  the  San  Joa- 
quin and  Santa  Clara  valleys  form  a  very  important 
part,  but  by  no  means  constitute  the  agricultural  lands 
of  California. .  Rich  valleys  of  various  dimensions  are 
found  outside  these  two  principal  ones  all  the  way  from 
San  Diego  to  Del  Norte  county;  and  many  of  the 
valleys  high  up  in  the  Sierras — in  Humboldt,  Siskiyou, 
Lassen,  and  Alpine  counties — ^grow  every  variety  of 
grains  and  fruits  grown  in  the  central  counties  of  the 
State,  and  produce  an  average  of  wheat  and  barley 
greater  than  the  rich  agricultural  counties  surrounding 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco. 


il 


Spanish  Grants. — ^Throughout  the  southern  and  cen- 
tral pordons  of  the  State,  embracing  much  of  the  best 
agricultural  and  grazing  lands  of  California,  large  tracts 
have  been  granted  by  the  Spanish  and  Mexican  authori- 
ties to  individuals.  Some  of  these  grants  form  princely 
domains,  many  of  them  containing  from  ten  to  fifty 
thousand  acres,  and  tracts  of  the  latter  size,  and  even 
larger,  are  held  by  individuals  in  California  at  this 
day. 

The  boundaries  of  these  early  grants  were  very  in- 
definite, being  generally  designated  by  some  river,  the 
ocean,  or  some  irregular  mountain  range  never  ascer- 
tained, as  the  surveyor's  art  was  unknown  in  •California 
undl  after  the  conquest  of  the  country  by  the  United 


3i6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


States.  To  ascertain  and  define  the  limits  and  bounda- 
ries of  these  early  grants  has  been  a  work  full  of  diffi- 
culty and  perplexity  to  settlers. 

More  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  of  these  Spanish 
grants,  covering  an  area  of  five  and  a-quarter  million 
acres,  have  been  presented  to  the  authorities  of  the 
United  States  for  adjustment ;  and  hundreds  of  fraudu- 
lent and  irregular  grants,  covering  vast  areas,  have 
lingered  in  tedious  litigation  through  the  Federal  and 
State  courts,  to  the  great  detriment  of  public  interests. 
The  greater  portion  of  this  class  of  claims  is  now, 
however,  finally  settled.  Some  of  the  early  grants, 
embracing  immense  tracts,  still  remain  in  the  hands  of 
first  parties  or  their  children ;  but  most  of  them  have 
passed  into  the  hands  of  capitalists  or  shrewd  attorneys, 
who,  at  the  outlay  of  a  few  hundred  or  thousand  dollars, 
or  some  trifling  legal  service,  hold  princely  estates. 

The  inclination  to  hold  on  to  these  vast  tracts  is  daily 
growing  less,  and  as  the  country  is  becoming  settled 
and  railroads  span  the  valleys,  owners  of  the  soil  ex- 
hibit a  desire  to  dispose  of  their  lands  at  reasonable 
rates  and  in  tracts  suitable  for  farming  purposes. 

Lands  in  California  are  also  held  in  large  tracts  by 
the  United  States,  the  State  of  California,  and  the  rail- 
road companies  in  the  State,  there  being  100,070,177 
acres  of  unsurveyed  United  States  lands  yet  (1872)  in 
California. 

For  the  convenience  of  the  public,  there  are  six  land 
offices  established  by  the  United  States  in  California — 
one  at  each  of  the  following  places:  San  Francisco, 
Sacramento,  Stockton,  Marysville,  Visalia,  and  Hum- 
boldt, at  ^1  of  whicn  offices  every  information  respect- 
ing the  public  domain  may  be  obtained  free  of  charge. 


PUBLIC  LANDS. 


317 


For  the  better  information  of  the  reader,  the  follow- 
ing directions  to  obtain  the  public  lands  are  here  given: 

PUBLIC  LANDS. 
How  to  secure  the  Public  Lands  under  the  Preimption  and  Homestead  Laws. 

Department  of  the  Interior, 

General  Land  Ovficis.,  /uly  19,  1865. 

Numerous  questions  having  arisen  as  to  the  mode  of  proceeding 
to  purchase  public  lands,  or  acquire  title  to  the  same  by  bounty  land 
locations,  by  preemptions,  or  by  homestead,  this  circular  is  commu- 
nicated for  the  information  of  all  concerned. 

In  order  to  acquire  title  to  public  lands,  the  following  steps  must 
be  taken: 

1.  Application  must  be  made  to  the  register  of  the  district  land 
o'  'ce  in  which  the  land  desired  may  be  situated. 

A  list  of  all  the  land  offices  in  the  United  States  is  furnished  by 
the  department,  with  the  seat  of  the  different  offices,  where  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  register  and  receiver  to  be  in  attendance,  and  give 
proper  facilities  and  information  to  persons  desirous  of  obtaining 
lands. 

The  minimum  price  of  ordinary  public  lands  is  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre.  The  even  or  reserved  sections  falling 
within  railroad  grants  are  increased  to  double  the  minimum  price, 
being  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre. 

Lands  once  offered  at  public  sale,  and  not  afterwards  kept  out  of 
market  by  reservation  or  otherwise,  so  as  to  prevent  free  competi- 
tion, may  be  entered  or  located. 

2.  By  the  applicant  filing  with  the  register  his  written  application 
describing  the  tract,  with  its  area,  the  register  will  then  certify  to 
the  receiver  whether  the  land  is  vacant,  with  its  price ;  and  when 
found  to  be  so,  the  applicant  must  pay  that  price  per  acre,  or  may 
locate  the  same  with  land-warrant,  and  thereafter  the  receiver  will 
give  him  a  "duplicate  receipt,"  which  he  is  required  to  surrender 
prior  to  the  delivery  to  him  of  the  patent,  which  may  be  had  either 
by  application  for  it  to  the  register  or  to  the  General  Land  Office. 

3.  If  the  tract  has  not  been  offered  at  public  sale,  it  is  not  liable 
to  ordinary  private  entry,  but  may  be  secured  by  a  party  legally 
qualified,  upon  his  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  the  preemp. 
tion  laws  of  4th  September,  1841,  and  3d  March,  1843;  ^"^  ^f^^"* 


3i8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


such  party  shall  have  made  actual  settlement  for  such  a  length  of 
time  as  will  show  he  de'signs  it  for  his  permanent  home  and  is 
acting  in  good  faith,  building  a  house  and  residi^ig  therein,  he  may 
proceed  to  the  district  land  office,  establish  his  preemption  claim 
according  to  law  by  proving  his  actual  residence  and  cultivation, 
and  showing  that  he  is  otherwise  within  the  purview  of  these  acts. 
Then  he  can  enter  the  land  at  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents,  either 
with  cash  or  with  bounty  land-warrant,  unless  the  premises  should  be 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per  acre  lands.  In  that  case  the  whole 
purchase  money  can  be  paid  in  cash,  or  one-half  in  cash,  the  residue 
with  a  bounty  land-warrant. 

4.  But  if  parties  legally  qualified  desire  to  obtain  title  under  the 
Homestead  Act  of  20th  May,  1862,  they  can  do  so  on  complying 
with  the  Department  Circular  dated  30th  October,  1862. 

5.  The  law  confines  homestead  entries  to  surveyed  lands;  and 
although,  in  certain  States  and  Territories  referred  to  in  the  original 
law,  preemptors  may  go  on  lands  before  survey,  yet  they  can  only 
establish  their  claim  after  return  of  survey,  but  must  file  their  pre- 
emption declaration  within  three  months  after  receipt  of  official 
plat,  at  the  local  land  office  where  the  settlement  was  made  before 
survey.  Where,  however,  it  was  made  after  survey,  the  claimant 
must  file  within  three  months  after  date  of  settlement;  and  where 
actual  residence  and  cultivation  have  been  long  enough  to  show  that 
the  claimant  has  made  the  land  his  permanent  home,  he  can  establish 
his  claim,  and  pay  for  the  same  at  any  time  before  the  date  of  the 
public  sale  of  lands  within  the  range  of  which  his  settlement  may 
fall. 

6.  All  unoffered  surveyed  lands  not  acquired  under  preemption, 
homestead,  or  otherwise,  under  express  legal  sanction,  must  be 
offered  at  public  sale  under  the  President's  proclamation,  and 
struck  off  to  the  highest  bidder,  as  required  by  the  Act  of  April  24, 
1820. 

J.  M.  EDMUNDS, 
Commissioner  General  Land  Office. 

School  Lands. — ^The  State  of  California  obtained  by 
grant  from  the  National  Congress  six  million  acres  of 
die  public  domain  in  the  State ;  this  consists  of  the  six- 
teenth and  thirt}'-sixth  sections  in  each  township. 


AGKICVI.TURE. 


3J9 


These  lands  are  mostly  disposed  of  already;  still 
such  as  are  left  may  be  purchased,  at  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre,  on  easy  terms.  The  State 
Surveyor-General  being,  ex  officio,  State  Locating  Agent, 
all  the  applicant  has  to  do  is  to  make  application  to 
him,  where  the  necessary  blanks  and  all  information 
may  be  obtained.  Citizens  of  the  United  States,  or 
those  having  made  their  declaration  of  intention  of 
citizenship,  only  can  obtain  these  lands. 

Besides  these  lands  mentioned,  there  are  millions  of 
acres  of  good  agricultural  lands  for  sale  in  the  State, 
with  respectable  offices  and  agents  in  every  county  and 
town  of  importance  to  give  information  to  the  pur- 
chaser. It  is  a  most  difficult  task  to  attempt  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  quality,  value,  and  price  of  lands  in  the 
State,  so  much  depends  upon  location.  Lands  in  the 
hands  of  private  owners  can  be  bought  all  the  way 
from  twenty-five  cents  to  five  hundrecl  dollars  per  acre. 
In  many  portions  of  the  counties  adjoining  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco  rich  agricultural  lands  can  be  bought  for 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre,  and  in  the 
wheat-growing  regions  of  the  San  Joaquin  and  other 
valleys  good  farm-land  can  be  purchased  at  from  five 
to  fifteen  dollars  per  acre,  often  on  very  favorable 
terms. 

It  must  always  be  borne  in  mind  that  when  agricul- 
tural lands  are  spoken  of  in  California  there  is  meant 
a  good  rich  soil,  entirely  free  from  rock  or  trees  of 
any  description,  and  generally  every  foot  being  fit  for 
the  plow ;  all  the  great  valleys  and  rich  rolling  hills  in 
the  State  being  covered  with  wild  oats  and  grass,  and 
entirely  free  from  timber,  brush,  or  stones. 


320 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


Wheat. — The  official  report  of  the  Surveyor-General 
of  the  State  shows  that,  in  1869,  (this  year  is  selected 
as  being  a  fair  average  season,)  there  were  2,343,204 
acres  under  cultivation,  1,286,133  of  which  were  under 
wheat  and  468,076  under  barley.  This  report,  as  well 
as  the  reports  of  the  Agricultural  Bureau  of  Congress 
for  1869,  affords  many  illustrations  of  the  great  produc- 
tiveness of  California  over  every  State  of  the  Union. 
Besides  the  superiority  of  California  wheat,  the  yield 
per  acre  surpasses  all  the  States  of  the  Union,  and 
every  country  in  the  world. 

The  total  wheat  crop  of  1869  was  about  twenty-five 
million  bushels,  and  the  average  annual  yield  amounts 
to  twenty-one  bushels  to  the  acre.  To  illustrate  the 
great  productiveness  of  California,  and  to  assure  the 
reader  that  wheat-growing  is  not  confined  to  the  central 
valleys  of  the  State,  and  that  certain  localities  produce 
beyond  any  other  portion  of  the  world,  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  say,  that  throughout  the  northern  portions  of 
the  State,  and  high  up  in  the  Sierras,  the  average  of 
wheat  and  barley  is  greater  than  in  the  counties  adjoin- 
ing the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  not  so  liable  to  rust 
or  other  blight  as  in  these  latter  counties.  The  coun- 
ties of  Humboldt  and  Del  Norte,  in  the  rugged  moun- 
tains, and  at  the  northern  line  of  the  State,  average 
twenty-five  and  twenty-seven  bushels  to  the  acre  re- 
spectively; and  Alpine  county,  perched  up  in  the 
Sierras,  averages  twenty  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre. 

Throughout  all  parts  of  the  State,  in  the  great  valleys, 
the  Sierras  and  the  Coast  Range,  there  are  many  small 
valleys  of  inexhaustible  richness,  producing  annually 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  bushels  of  prime 
wheat  to  the  acre.     Like  the  entire  grain-producing 


AGRICULTURE. 


321 


1 


regions  of  the  State,  these  valleys  have  been  pown  in 
wheat  for  from  twelve  to  twenty  years  without  one 
season's  intermission,  and  without  receiving  a  shovelful 
of  manure  or  change  of  crop.  Except  in  a  few  instances 
of  gardening,  there  is  no  manure  used  upon  the  soil. 
Year  after  year,  wheat,  barley;  .  eans,  and  potatoes  are 
raised  upon  the  same  land,  v  itiiout  any  artificial  stimu- 
lant: indeed,  most  of  the  ^  -.rmeis  never  save  a  particle 
of  manure,  and  know  but  little  of  its  use. 

To  illustrate  the  supcrioruy  of  California  as  a  wheat- 
growing  country,  let  us  compare  the  annual  yield  per 
acre  with  the  wheat-producing  regions  of  the  Atlantic 
slope,  as  shown  by  the  official  returns  for  1869.  The 
highest  yield  eist  of  the  Rocky  mountains  is  credited 
to  Vermont — sixteen  bushels  to  the  acre ;  next  comes 
Iowa — fourteen  and  a-half  bushels;  and  third  on  the 
list.  New  York — fourteen  bushels;  Wisconsin,  thirteen 
bushels;  Illinois,  eleven  and  a-half  bushels;  Kentucky, 
eight  and  a-half  bushels;  Tennessee,  six  bushels^ 
Texas,  six  bushels;  and  Kansas  but  five  bushels.  It 
will  here  be  seen  that,  in  the  most  favored  wheat-pro- 
ducing regions  of  the  Atlantic  States,  the  average  yield 
per  acre  is  but  a  little  over  one-half  of  the  yield  in  Cali- 
fornia, while  in  many  States  it  is  but  one-third,  and  in 
some  less  than  one-fourth. 

The  California  wheat  is  produced  upon  land  neither 
requiring  clearing  of  timber,  brush,  stones,  or  other 
obstructions,  but  where  the  gang-plow  can  run  uninter- 
rupted ov^r  hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres,  and  without 
the  aid  of  manure.  Then,  too,  there  are  no  threatening 
clouds  or  rain-storms  in  the  autumn  sky;  no  binding 
of  sheaves  and  stooking.  The  harvest  is  carried  di- 
rectly from  the  mower,  dry  as  tinder,  to  the  thresher, 


21 


mm 


322 


r//£   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  from  the  thresher  the  grain  is  fit  for  the  mill  or 
shipment.  The  grains  are  not  shrivelled,  lean,  or  milky, 
but  each  grain  full,  plump,  and  hard,  matured  regularly 
and  thoroughly  by  the  uninterrupted  flood  of  mellow 
sunlight  falling  upon  it  during  the  ripening  season. 

Wheat  is  generally  put  in  sacks  of  one  and  two  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  flour  in  sacks  of  from  fifty  to  a  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  in  this  manner  shipped  abroad  or 
transported  into  the  interior  of  the  State  and  adjoining 
Territories.     (See  Chapter  XXII.) 

Wheat,, flour,  and  grain  of  every  description,  potatoes, 
beets,  carrots,  onions,  and  every  description  of  vegeta- 
bles, fruit  and  berries,  are  all  sold  by  the  pound.  The 
bushel  and  other  such  measures  are  unknown  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

In  the  early  days  of  California,  beef  was  sold  by  the 
yard,  and  this  custom  still  prevails  in  Lower  California, 
Mexico,  and  South  and  Central  America.  When  a 
beef  is  rJaughtered,  the  meat  is  cut  up  into  long  strips, 
several  fathoms  long,  and  hung  upon  trees  to  drj^ 
Neither  salt  nor  any  thing  else  is  put  on  it.  After  it  is 
thoroughly  dried,  which  the  pure,  dry  atmosphere  will 
soon  do,  it  is  ready  for  the  market,  and,  being  coiled 
up  like  a  rope,  is  carried  upon  the  pummel  of  the  saddle 
upon  the  long  journey  of  the  vaquero,  or  to  the  market. 


Barley. — Next  in  importance  to  the  wheat  crop  is 
the  barley  crop  of  California.  The  crop  of  1869  was 
about  nine  million  bushels.  Barley  grows  in  all  the 
counties  in  the  State,  and  flourishes  well  in  the  Sierra 
range.  The  grain  is  very  large,  dry,  and  well-filled. 
It  is  used  chiefly  for  brewing  and  for  feed  for  horses. 
It  is  used  for  the  latter  purpose  almost  entirely  to  the 


AGRICULTURE.  .  323 

exclusion  of  corn  or  oats.     The  average  yield  per  acre 
is  about  twenty-five  bushels. 

Oats. — Oats  grow  well  in  most  parts  of  the  State. 
Great  quantities  are  cut  green  for  hay,  used  for  feed 
for  horses,  and  ground  into  meal.  The  crop  of  1869 
was  about  three  million  bushels.  The  average  product 
per  acre  is  thirty-four  bushels,  and  in  some  portions  of 
the  State  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  and  even  one 
hundred  and  fifty  bushels  to  the  acre  are  produced. 

Wild  Oats. — Wild  oats  cover  the  whole  face  of  the 
country  along  the  Coast  Range  and  central  and  south- 
ern portions  of  the  State.  They  afford  excellent  pas- 
turage, and  are  cut  in  great  quantities  for  hay.  The 
beard  is  long  and  the  grain  small,  and  much  resembles 
the  tame  oats  of  the  country,  from  which  it  is  supposed 
to  have  originated  from  seed  carried,  to  the  coast  at  an 
early  day  by  the  Spanish  colonists. 

Neither  timothy  nor  clover  grows  in  California.  This 
is  owing  to  the  continued  drought  of  summer,  which  kills 
the  roots.  Nearly  all  the  grasses  in  the  State  grow 
directly  from  the  seed  deposited  each  year ;  so  that  no 
sod  forms  on  the  soil.  Some  species  of  bunch  grass, 
and  alfalfa,  a  species  of  clover,  are  the  only  grasses  in 
California  which  continue  to  grow  year  after  year  from 
the  roots. 

V 

Other  Growths. — Corn,  rye,  buckwheat,  peas,  beans, 
mustard,  castor  beans,  broom  corn,  onions,  flax,  hops, 
tobacco,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables,  grow  abundantly 
in  the  State.  About  one  million  bushels  of  corn  were 
grown  in  California  in  1869,  the  average  being  thirty 
bushels  to  the  acre.  Peas  average  thirty-six  bushels 
to  the  acre.     Beans  grow  abundantly,  especially  along 


324 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  sea-coast,  where  the  dense  fogs  of  summer  reach 
them:  the  yield  is  about  twenty-seven  bushels  to  the 
acre. 

Onions  grow  in  great  abundance,  and  to  enormous 
size.  About  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  bushels 
were  produced  in  1869:  the  average  yield  per  acre  is 
about  sixty-eight  bushels. 

Flax,  so  far,  has  been  grown  in  but  two  or  three  coun- 
ties ;  but  it  will  grow  well  in  most  parts  of  the  State. 
There  were  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
pounds  grown  in  1869,  chiefly  in  the  counties  of  Solano, 
Alameda,  and  Santa  Cruz ;  the  former  county  producing 
more  than  three-fourths  of  the  entire  product  of  the 
State.  Flax  is  a  native  of  California,  and  grows  wild 
in  great  abundance  in  many  parts. 

Wild  mustard  grows  profusely  through  the  middle, 
southern,  and  Coast  Range  districts  of  California.  It  is 
not  the  slender  shrub  of  the  Atlantic  States,  but  grows 
in  immense  forests,  some  of  the  stalks  growing  to  the 
size  of  small  trees,  in  which  the  birds  lodge  and  to 
which  the  traveller  can  hitch  his  horse  in  safety.  The 
grain  is  very  large,  and  of  superior  quality.  All  the 
mustard  used  in  the  State,  together  with  great  quanti- 
ties shipped  abroad,  is  gathered  from  the  fields.  There 
is  enough  wild  mustard  in  California  to  supply  the 
markets  of  the  world,  and  many  persons  have,  within  a 
few  years  past,  made  many  thousand  dollars  in  a  season 
by  gathering  wild  mustard. 

Hops,  of  a  very  superior  quality,  are  grown  in  many 
parts  of  the  State.  The  soil  and  climate  of  California 
are  very  favorable  for  hop-raising  ;  the  long,  dry  sum- 
mer and  autumn  being  very  favorable  for  dr)^ing. 
About  one  million  pounds  were  grown  in  the  State  in 


AGRICULTURE. 


325 


1869,  the  average  to  the  acre  being  about  eighty-four 
pounds. 

Neither  the  soil  nor  climate  seems  to  be  adapted  to 
tobacco.  In  some  localities  it  seems  to  thrive  pretty 
well ;  but  as  a  whole  tobacco-growing  in  California  has 
not  been  a  success.  Only  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  thousand  pounds  were  raised  in  1869.  The 
average  per  acre  is  about  eight  hundred  pounds.  The 
quality  of  the  California  tobacco  is  inferior,  and  most 
of  the  leaf  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cigars  is  im- 
ported. 

Potatoes  grow  everywhere  in  the  State,  and  produce 
most  abundantly.  No  rot,  blight,  or  disease  has  ever 
been  known  to  affect  the  potato  in  California,  and  in 
size  and  quality  they  are  unsurpassed  in  the  world. 
Single  potatoes  weighing  from  one  to  four  pounds  are 
common,  and  in  some  instances  a  single  potato  has 
weighed  from  six  to  seven  pounds.  The  crop  of  1869 
amounted  to  about  three  million  five  hundred  thousand 
bushels.  The  average  yield  per  acre  is  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  bushels,  although  in  many  localities  it 
reached  from  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  five  hundred 
bushels  to  the  acre.  Sweet  potatoes  of  a  fine  quality 
grow  through  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  the 
State. 

Vegetables  and  fruits  of  every  description  produce 
most  abimdantly,  and  grow  to  a  size  unequalled  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world.  The  general  average  of  fruits 
and  vegetables  in  the  markets  of  California  is  double 
the  size  of  the  best  varieties  in  the  Atlantic  States,  while 
some  grow  to  sizes  unheard  of  outside  of  California. 
To  illustrate,  a  few  of  the  large  growths  are  here  given : 
carrots,  thirty  pounds ;  Irish  potatoes,  seven  pounds ; 


m^imiimmmmmmmw 


iummmifmmm 


326 


TJ^E   GOLDEN  STATE. 


sweet  potatoes,  fourteen  pounds ;  turnips,  thirty  pounds; 
watermelons,  sixty-five  pounds ;  cabbages,  seventy-five 
pounds ;  beets,  two  hundred  pounds ;  pumpkins,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  one  pumpkin  vine  producing 
one  hundi'ed  and  thirty  pumpkins  of  an  aggregate 
weight  of  2,604  pounds ;  squash,  one  hundred  and  forty 
pounds. 

Vegetables  of  almost  every  description  grow  the 
year  round,  so  that  the  markets  are  well  supplied  at 
every  season.  So  soon  as  the  vegetables  are  taken 
from  the  soil,  the  ground  is  tilled,  fresh  seed  sown,  the 
land  irrigaied,  (if  in  summer,)  and  a  new  crop  is  started. 
So,  too,  some  varieties  of  fruits  and  berries  are  in  the 
market  every  day  in  the  year,  and  generally  a  full 
supply  most  of  the  year. 

The  growth  of  fruits  and  berries  is  also  remarkable. 
A  pear,  exhibited  in  the  Washington  market,  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  the  fall  of  1870,  grown  at  Sutterville,  Sacra- 
mento county,  weighed  four  pounds  six  ounces,  and 
measured  one  foot  seven  inches  In  circumference,  and 
one  foot  eleven  inches  in  girth  lengthwise. 

In  1870,  there  was  raised  near  Sacramento  a  potato 
weighing  three  pounds  nine  ounces,  and  measuring 
fifteen  and  one-half  inches  in  circumference,  and  twenty- 
three  inches  girth  lengthwise. 

A  potato  raised  at  Walnut  Grove,  Sacramento  county, 
in  1869,  measured  fourteen  inches  in  circumference, 
thirty-six  inches  whole  length  round  lengthwise,  and 
weighed  four  pounds.  Currants  grow  to  the  size  of 
cherries  elsewhere ;  pears  weigh  four  pounds;  raspber- 
ries and  blackberries  grow  most  abundantly  and  of  great 
size ;  and  strawberries,  which  are  in  market  from  the 


I 


FRUITS  AND    VEGETABLES. 


327 


first  of  March  until  Christmas,  grow  the  size  of  plums 
and  small  potatoes.  They  are  not  taken  to  market  in 
baskets  and  pails  of  a  few  quarts  each,  but  by  the  ton: 
one  hundred  and  forty  tons  having  arrived  in  a  single 
day  in  the  San  Francisco  market  in  May,  1870.  In  June 
of  this  year  a  cherry  grown  in  Alameda  county,  and 
exhibited  in  San  Francisco,  measured  three  and  one- 
half  inches  in  circumference. 

Fruit  and  berries  of  every  description  are  entirely 
free  from  bugs,  worms,  and  other  insects  so  destructive 
and  disagreeable  in  most  of  the  Atlantic  States. 

Apples,  apricots,  cherries,  grapes,  peaches,  pears,  and 
plums  are  raised  in  nearly  every  county  in  the  State. 
Blackberries  are  chiefly  grown  in  Alameda,  Napa,  Sac- 
ramento, San  Joaquin,  Santa  Clara,  Solano,  and  Sonoma 
counties.  Alameda  and  Santa  Clara  counties  raise 
nearly  all  our  currants.  The  best  fig  counties  are  Sac- 
ramento, San  Joaquin,  Sierra,  Solano,  Butte,  and  Yuba. 
The  same  counties  also  furnish  large  quantities  of 
nectarines.  The  counties  producing  the  largest  quan- 
tities of  prunes  are  Alameda,  Placer,  Sacramento,  Santa 
Clara,  Sierra,  and  Yuba.  The  supply  of  raspberries 
is  chiefly  obtained  in  Alameda  and  Los  Angeles  coun- 
ties. Santa  Clara  is  the  chief  county  for  strawberries, 
the  yield  there  being  nearly  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the 
total  product.  Most  of  the  quinces  raised  come  from 
Los  Angeles,  Santa  Clara,  and  Yuba  counties.  Nearly 
all  the  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  and  citron  produced  in 
the  State  are  raised  in  Los  Angeles  county ;  while  all 
the  canteleups  and  watermelons  are  furnished  by  Sac- 
ramento county.  The  gooseberry  crop  is  light,  scarcely 
reaching  one   hundred  tons,  and  Alameda  probably 


328 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


raises  more  than  any  other  county  in  the  State.  It  is 
safe  to  say  that  nine-tenths  of  all  the  fruit .  aised  in  the 
State  seeks  San  Francisco  for  a  market ;  and  that  at 
least  one  hundred  tons  of  the  quantity  sent  here  decays 
or  is  otherwise  wasted  before  it  passes  into  the  hands 
of  consumers.  In  the  annexed  table  is  given  the  aggre- 
gate pounds  of  the  different  varieties  of  fruit  raised  in 
California  during  the  year  1870,  together  with  the  mar- 
ket value  of  the  same,  as  based  on  the  average  prices 
in  San  Francisco  during  that  season : 

VALUB. 
15415,100 
106,689 
78,750 

203,333 

62,730 

74,620 
466,160 

36,000 
274,381 
204,751 
147,613 

20,265 


QUANTITY. 

Apples,  lbs.  .  . 

20,755,000 

Apiicots,  .... 

2,133,77s 

Blackberries,     , 

1,050,000 

Cherries 

1,129,625 

Currants,.  .  .  . 

697,000 

Figs, 

1,066,000 

Grapes 

11,654,000 

Nectarines,.  .  . 

720,000 

Peaches,  .... 

7,982,000 

Pears 

9,828,000 

Plums, 

2,952,250 

«  Prunes, 

337.750 

QUANTITY. 

VALUB. 

Raspberries,  .  . 

61,000 

^7.625 

Strawberries,.  - 

1,9  "7,000 

166,345 

Quinces,  .... 

7v;,75o 

»4,99S 

Oranges,  ... 

2,466,000 

73,980 

Lemons,  .... 

226,000 

5,650 

Limes 

75,000 

1,125 

Watermelons, 

50,000 

4,000 

Canteleups,    ,  . 

50,000 

3,500 

Citron, 

100,000 

4,000 

Total, ^2,371,612 


The  above  figures  show  how  important  the  fruit  in- 
terest has  become  in  California.  In  no  State  in  the 
Union  can  such  a  variety  of  fruit  be  so  successfully 
raised  as  here.  The  local  consumption  is  every  year 
increasing,  while  new  markets  are  constantly  being 
opened.  The  increasing  demand  for  dried  and  pre- 
served fruits  gives  assurance  that  our  fruit  interest  may 
yet  be  more  fully  and  profitably  developed. 

The  following  table  shows  the  date  of  an  ival  in  San 
Francisco  of  the  first  fruit  of  the  season,  and  the  prices 
at  which  such  samples  were  sold.  As  the  season  ad- 
vances and  fruit  becomes  abundant,  it  also  becomes 


are 


FRUITS  AND    VEGETABLES. 


329 


cheap,  grapeb  and  other  fruits  retailing  at  from  three 
to  five  cents  per  pound : 


OATH  OF 
ARRIVAI,. 


rRICB  PBX 
POUND. 


DATB  or  PRICB  PER 

FRUITS.                          ARRIVAL,  POUND. 

Peaches, June  15, .  .  .  JlPbo 

Pears June  9,   .  .  .         10 

Plums June  10, .  .  .        60 

Raspberries,  .  .  .  June  I,   .  .  .        ^o 
Strawberries,    .  .  March  17, .  .         50 


PRuns. 

Apples, June  15,  .  .  .  25 

Apricots,  ....  May  28,  .  .  .  75 
Cherries,  ....  May  2,  ....  |i  25 

Currants June  4, .  .  .  .  12 

Figs, June  28,  .  .  .  40 

Grapes, June  27,  .  .  .  50 

The  thrift  of  fruit  trees  in  California  is  most  remark- 
able. Apple,  plum,  peach,  cherry,  and  pear,  in  the  first 
and  second  year  from  the  slip  or  graft,  produce  fruit, 
and  trees  at  three  and  four  years  of  age  produce 
abundantly;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  slender 
slips,  of  one  and  two  years  old,  with  such  a  weight  of 
fruit  as  breaks  them  to  the  ground.  An  instance  came 
under  the  writer's  observation,  in  Oregon,  of  an  apple 
slip,  but  two  years  old,  upon  which  was  a  solitary  apple — 
the  only  one  produced — measuring  eight  inches  in  cir- 
cumference. 

The  growth  of  fruit  trees  in  California  is  unequalled 
in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Apple,  cherry,  and 
pear  trees  often  grow  ten,  twelve,  and  fourteen  feet^ 
from  the  bud,  in  a  single  year.  As  a  rule,  all  fruit  trees 
are  bearing  well  at  two  and  three  years ;  and,  at  four 
years,  are  further  advanced  than  their  species  at  seven 
in  the  Atlantic  States. 

The  climate  and  soil  of  the  State  are  so  diversified 
that  every  variety  of  fruit  on  the  Atlantic  shores  between 
Maine  and  Florida  may  be  found  here.  All  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  apples,  plums,  cherries,  currants,  and 
gooseberries  peculiar  to  the  North  are  common  here ; 
so  also  the  almost  tropical  oranges,  olives,  figs,  lemons, 
and  pomegranates. 


IP 


330 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Los  Angeles  and  other  southern  counties  produce 
most  of  the  oranges  and  lemons  of  California,  but  they 
can  be  cultivated  with  success  as  far  north  as  Sacra- 
mento and  Sonoma  counties;  and  in  some  instances 
these  fruits  are  cultivated  along  the  western  slope  of 
the  Sierras  in  Amadore,  Placer,  Nevada,  and  Siskiyou 
counties,  where  the  northern  portion  of  the  State  joins 
the  Sierra  mountains.  The  number  of  orange  trees  in 
the  State  is  about  fifty  thousand;  and  the  yield  of 
oranges,  in  1870,  is  estimated  at  more  than  two  and 
a-half  million,  about  three  times  as  great  as  the  crop  of 
any  previous  year.  Each  tree,  when  in  full  bearing, 
yidds  from  twel\>-  hundred  to  fifteen  hundred  each. 
The  California  orange  has  no  superior  anywhere :  they 
are  sweeter  and  finer-flavored  than  any  of  the  imported, 
and  the  best  qualities  from  the  Sandwich  and  other 
Pacific  islands  are  little  sought  after  when  California 
oranges  are  in  supply. 

Lemons  are  grown  chiefly  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
State ;  but,  like  the  orange,  the  cultivation  is  fast  creep- 
ing toward  the  Sierras,  and,  of  late  years,  farmers  are 
planting  lemon  trees  as  high  up  as  Amadore,  Calaveras, 
and  Humboldt  counties.  They  can  be  grown  in  every 
county  in  the  State. 

Limes  are  cultivated  to  a  limited  extent;  and,  with 
proper  attention,  could  be  made  a  profitable  branch  of 
industry.  Mexico  and  Central  America,  both  of  which 
produce  great  quantities  of  limes,  offer  a  strong  compe- 
tition in  the  lime  trade. 

Figs  grow  all  over  the  State :  the  southern  and  cen- 
tral portions  produce  most  abundandy,  but  they  are 
grown  in  almost  every  county.  Sacramento  and  Santa 
Barbara  are  the   chief  producing  counties.     The  fig 


FRUITS  And  vegetables. 


331 


grows  throughout  the  foot-hills  and  up  in  the  Sierras — 
as  high  up  as  Humboldt  and  Siskiyou  counties.  The 
trees  produce  most  abundantly,  grow  very  large,  and 
bear  two  crops  per  year.  Large  quantities  of  figs  are 
dried  and  sold  throughout  the  coast. 

Olives  are  grown  in  thirty  counties  in  the  State. 
There  are  about  thirty  thousand  olive  trees  in  Califor- 
nia, more  than  half  of  which  are  in  Santa  Barbara 
county.  The  olive  is  cultivated  along  the  western  slope 
of  the  Sierras,  but  flourishes  best  in  the  central  and 
southern  sections  of  the  State. 

Walnuts  grow  in  every  county  in  the  State,  and  are 
fast  attracting  the  attention  of  farmers,  both  on  account 
of  their  value  for  shade  and  timber  as  well  as  for  the 
nuts.  There  are  about  forty  thousand  walnut  trees  in 
California.  Santa  Barbara,  Sonoma,  Los  Angeles,  and 
Alameda  counties  are  the  largest  walnut-producing 
sections. 

Almonds  thrive  throughout  the  central  and  southern 
portion  of  the  State;  but,  like  most  of  the  other  fruits 
and  nuts,  can  be  profitably  grown  in  every  county  in 
California.  About  one-quarter  of  the  forty-five  thou- 
sand almond  trees  in  the  State  is  in  Santa  Barbara 
county. 

So  far  the  cultivation  of  prunes  has  been  very  limited. 
There  are  only  about  twelve  thousand  prune  trees  in 
the  State.  They  can  be  grown  up  to  the  Sierras,  but 
grow  best  in  the  central  and  southern  sections. 

Pomegranates  have  been  almost  entirely  neglected, 
and  the  few  grown  in  the  State  have  been  as  much  for 
ornament  as  for  profit. 

Plums,  cherries,  quinces,  nectarines,  apricots,  pears, 
peaches,  and  apples  grow  equally  well  in  every  section 


i 


332 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  California.  Apples,  peaches,  and  pears  are  produced 
in  immense  quantities,  and  of  superior  quality.  There 
are  about  two  and  a-half  million  apple  trees  in  the 
State.  Santa  Clara  and  Sonoma  counties  take  the  lead  in 
producing  apples.  The  northern  portion  of  the  country 
produces  the  finest  quality,  but  the  apples  of  Oregon 
are  superior  to  any  raised  in  California,  and  the  chief 
winter  supply  of  California  is  obtained  from  Oregon. 

Peaches  grow  most  abundantly,  and  are  of  supenor 
quality.  During  the  summer  months  the  whole  country 
seems  to  be  flooded  with  peaches.  There  are  about 
one  million  producing  trees  in  the  State.  Santa  Clara, 
Sonoma,  Sacramento,  Yolo,  and  San  Joaquin  are  the 
chief  producing  counties. 

With  strawberries  ripe  in  February,  (they  are  in  the 
market  eleven  months  in  the  year,)  cherries  in  May, 
peaches  in  June,  and  all  the  varieties  of  fruits,  nuts,  and 
berries  through  the  spring,  summer,  and  fall  months — 
with  vegetables  fresh  from  the  field  every  day  in  the 
year — it  may  be  said  that  the  markets  of  California  are 
constandy  supplied  with  a  greater  variety  and  better 
quality  of  fresh  vegetables,  fruits,  and  berries  than  any 
other  portion  of  the  world.  It,  however,  requires  that 
skilled  labor  and  condensed  population  which  induces 
competition  and  economy  to  develop  the  great  hidden 
resources  of  the  rich  soil  and  semi-tropical  climate  of 
California. 


The  Grape. — California  beyond  all  doubt  is  the 
greatest  grape-producing  country  in  the  world.  Grapes 
grow  in  every  county  in  the  State,  from  the  aerial 
heights  of  Alpine  and  Siskiyou  counties  to  the  waters 
of  the  Colorado,  and  produced  in  an  abundance  un- 


THE  GRAPE. 


333 


known  elsewhere.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  thirty- 
five  million  grape-vines  in  the  State,  and  that  when 
these  are  in  full  bearing  they  will  produce  thirty-five 
million  gallons  of  wine  annually.  The  long,  dry  sum- 
mers of  California,  with  the  air  so  pure,  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  ripening  and  drying  of  the  grape. 
Throughout  the  long,  dry  summer  the  leaves  and 
branches  of  the  grape  are  green  ;  and  from  September 
until  Christmas  the  markets  are  fiooded  with  grapes  of 
great  size,  variety,  and  richness,  and  at  very  low  prices. 
The  yield  of  wine  to  the  acre,  in  California,  is  more 
than  double  the  average  of  the  best  wine  countries  of 
Europe.  California  produces  a  thousand  gallons  to  the 
acre;  while  the  product  of  European  wine-growing 
countries  is  only  about  four  hundred  gallons. 

Large  quantities  of  grapes  are  converted  into  wine 
and  brandy  and  consumed  for  table  use.  In  some 
counties  species  suited  to  making  raisins  are  grown; 
but  the  greater  part  of  the  grapes  raised  are  the 
Mission  or  California.  They  are  smaller  and  sweeter 
than  most  other  varieties;  but  the  wine  produced  is 
inferior  and  is  much  cheaper  than  from  the  European 
species  grown  in  the  State.  California  produces  from 
eight  thousand  to  ten  thousand  pounds  of  grapes  to  the 
acre ;  while  Ohio  produces  but  five  thousand  pounds, 
and  France  but  three  thousand  pounds. 

Wine  in  quantity  can  be  bought  at  the  cellars  in 
California  at  from  twenty-five  cents  to  seventy-five 
cents  per  gallon,  according  to  the  quality  and  variety 
of  grapes  used.  Grapes  bought  by  the  whole  crop  in 
the  vineyard  bring  only  from  one  to  one  and  a-half 
cents  per  pound;  but  in  locations  where  grapes  are 
sold  for  table  use,  and  even  in  some  instances  when 


m. 
Kilt 


y 


334 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


made  into  wine,  a  gross  income  of  from  five  hundred 
dollars  to  two  thousand  dollars  per  acre  is  realized; 
but  generally  on  cheap  varieties  from  fifty  dollars  to 
two  hundred  dollars  per  acre  is  an  average  net  profit. 
Almost  the  entire  labor  connected  with  grape  culture  is 
performed  by  Chinese. 

The  cultivation  of  foreign  species  of  grapes  is  of  late 
years  attracting  attention,  and  many  of  these  varieties 
grow  most  luxuriantly,  and  sell  at  most  remunerative 
prices.  The  Flaming  Tokay,  White  Tokay,  Black 
Malvoisie,  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  Golden  Chasselas, 
Rose  of  Peru,  Black  and  White  Hamburg,  all  grow 
well. 

In  early  days  the  mission  fathers  thought  the  deep, 
rich  bottom  lands  the  best  suited  to  the  grape :  in  their 
notions,  however,  they  were  mistaken.  The  grapes 
grown  upon  the  highlands,  and  even  up  through  the 
foot-hills,  and  grapes  grown  in  the  Sierras,  are  finer  in 
flavor  and  make  superior  wine  to  those  of  the  same 
varieties  in  the  rich  lowlands.  The  vines  bear  at  two 
years  old,  and  at  three  and  four  years  produce  abun- 
dantly. Sonoma,  Los  Angeles,  Sacramento,  Napa,  and 
El  Dorado  are  the  chief  grape-producing  counties  in 
the  State.  Grapes  are  grown  in  every  county  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  the  foot-hills  and  every  foot  of  soil  along  the 
mountain  sides  and  the  ridges  of  the  Sierras  will  pro- 
duce choice  grapes.  There  are  thh'ty  million  '^r.res  of 
land  in  California  upon  which  grapes  can  be  grown; 
and  that  California  will  eventually  become  the  great 
centre  of  wine  producing  in  the  world  seems  to  be  but 
a  question  of  time.  The  wine  product  of  the  State,  for 
1872,  is  estimated  at  ten  million  galions,  besides  two 
million  gallons  of  grape  brandy. 


ica. 


AGRICULTURE. 


335 


The  largest  and  most  productive  grape-vine  in  the 
world  is  in  California,  at  Montecito,  Santa  Barbara 
county.  In  1 765,  Senora  Dominguez,  then  a  little  girl, 
was  making  a  journey  on  horseback  toward  her  home: 
she  had  in  her  hand  for  a  whip  a  grape-vine.  After  rid- 
ing awhile  she  observed  that  the  vine  was  budding  in 
her  hand,  and,  on  her  arrival  at  home,  she  planted  it. 
It  grew ;  and  to-day  is  fresh  and  vigorous,  although  it 
is  entered  upon  its  second  hundredth  year.  From  this 
single  sprig  has  grown  a  stem  eighteen  inches  in  diam- 
eter, with  innumerable  branches  and  off-shoots  covering 
an  area  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length  and 
eighty  feet  in  width,  and  producing  between  three  and 
four  tons  of  grapes  annually.  This  vine  and  its  pro- 
duce had  for  almost  a  century  been  the  chief  support 
and  shelter  of  its  planter:  for  one  hundred  years  Senora 
Dominguez  lived  beneath  the  hospitable  shade  of  this 
vine,  and  on  ihe  9th  day  of  May,  1865,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  one  hundred  and  five  years,  and  just  one 
hundred  years  from  the  time  she  had  planted  it,  sur- 
rounded by  over  three  hundred  of  her  offspring, 
in  children,  grandchildren,  great-grandchildren,  and 
great-great-grandchildren,.  Senora  Dominguez  died, 
leaving  her  generous  vine  still  fresh  and  vigorous.  The 
great  growth  and  productiveness  of  this  vine  is  attrib- 
uted by  some  to  the  fact  that  its  roots  a.re  watered  by 
a  mineral  spring  adjacent. 


Tea. — China  and  Japan  are  the  great  supply  foun- 
tains of  all  the  tea  used  throughout  the  globe.  From 
the  palace  of  the  Czar,  the  courtly  halls  of  Westminster, 
and  throughout  every  town,  village,  and  home  in  Amer- 
ica, may  be  found,  as  u  staple  household  luxury,  this 


1 


336 


THE  GOLDEN  S.TATE. 


Oriental  herb,  so  long  the  leadinp^  export  of  China,  and 
one  of  the  most  extensive  imports  of  America. 

It  has  long  been  asserted  by  men  of  experience  that 
the  climate  and  soil  of  California  were  well  adapted  to 
tea-growing.  But,  strange  to  say,  although  Chinese 
have  been  located  in  every  section  of  the  State,  no 
attempt  had  been  mr.de  to  grow  tea  until  the  summer 
of  1869,  when  Herr  Schnell,  an  intelligent  German, 
skilled  in  tea-growing  in  Japan,  arrived  with  a  small 
colony  of  Japanese  tea-farmers  and  founded  a  colony 
in  El  Dorado  county.  The  soil  of  diis  place  is  sandy, 
and  rather  dry.  Tea  plants,  to  be  healthy,  should  not 
be  planted  in  very  moist  soil.  That  upon  the  higher 
and  dryer  portion  of  this  pWntation  is  more  prosperous 
than  the  other.  The  tea  seed  is  about  the  size  of  an 
ordinary  marble.  They  are  first  planted  in  hills,  about 
a  hundred  in  each  hill.  It  takes  about  ten  days  for 
them  to  sprout;  when  they  do,  the  seed  is  halved 
exactly  in  the  centre.  After  the  plants  are  about  a  year 
old,  they  are  fit  to  transplant.  This  is  done  in  two 
ways :  one  way,  and  the  best,  is  to  form  a  hill  about 
eighteen  inches  across,  the  same  as  in  raising  melons ; 
four  plants  describe  a  foot  square  in  the  circle.  No  irri- 
gation is  necessary  after  the  plants  get  a  fair  start. 
There  are  over  four  hundred  thousand  in  this  planta- 
tion. The  hills  should  be  six  feet  apart  one  way,  and 
eight  feet  the  other.  Another  way  of  planting  is  in 
hedges,  three  rows  in  each  hedge,  with  half  as  many  in  the 
centre  as  in  the  outside  rows.  Eighty-seven  thousand 
of  these  are  set  out.  There  are  also  five  million  seeds 
planted  in  hills,  on  the  place.  The  tea  plants  will  attain 
a  growth  of  six  feet,  but  for  use  are  never  allowed  to 
grow  over  three  feet.    All  are  growing  finely  upon  this 


TEA  AND  ITS  PRODUCTION. 


337 


place,  and  from  samples  raised  it  is  almost  beyond  a 
doubt  that  tea-raising  in  California  will  yet  prove  a 
success. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  land  upon  which  Mr. 
Schnell's  plantation  was  located  was  more  valuable  for 
gold -mining  than  for  agriculture,  and  the  repeated 
invasion  of  the  miner,  he  was,  in  1872,  compelled  to 
abandon  it;  thus  ending  the  first  practical  effort  in 
tea-growing  in  the  State. 

But  one  variety  or  kind  of  tea  is  known,  and  is  the 
one  designated  by  Dr.  von  Siebold  as  the  simeusis  Linn. 
All  of  the  varieties  described  by  botanists  under  the 
names  bohea,  viridis,  laden,  stricta,  &c.,  are  only  varia- 
tions of  the  simensis  Linn.,  produced  by  different  modes 
of  cultivation  and  geographical  distribution.  Dr.  von 
Siebold  places  the  simensis  wv^di^x  \ht.  monaddphia  poly- 
andHa  Linn.,  and  to  the  natural  family  of  the  cameleia- 
rum  decam.  The  tea  shrub  in  Japan  is  an  evergreen, 
from  four  to  six  feet  high,  with  a  straight  stem,  and 
numerous  irregular  branches.  Growing  wild,  the  shrub 
will  reach  a  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The  stem 
is  of  a  bright  gray  color,  the  branches  chestnut,  and  the 
wood  hard,  and  having  a  peculiar  odor.  On  the  young 
branches  are  the  short,  soft,  green,  small  leaves,  which 
are  arranged  in  intervals,  and  are  of  an  elliptical  shape, 
with  teeth  on  the  borders,  resembling  closely  the  leaves 
of  the  wild  rose.  The  color  is  a  bright  green,  of  dif- 
ferent shades,  deepening  as  the  season  advances. 
Between  the  leaves  sprout  the  blossoms,  which  are  at 
first  of  a  rose  color,  but  in  the  course  of  their  develop- 
ment assume  lighter  shades,  and  finally,  when  full  blown, 
are  of  the  color  of  the  ordinary  tea-rose.  They  have 
no  odor,  and  are  very  tender,  but  are  put  to  no  use. 


33 


38 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


The  Story  that  these  flowers  are  preserved  for  mixing 
teas  that  are  only  drunk  by  the  emperor  and  the  nobility 
is  a  fabrication.  When  these  flowers  fade  away,  they 
leave  a  small  fruit,  which  is  divided  into  two  or  three 
partitions,  generally  three,  which  contain  the  seed^. 
Owing  to  the  great  quantity  of  oil  contained  in  these 
seeds,  they  are  difficult  of  preservation,  and  easily  decay. 
The  tea  shrub  is  very  easy  of  cultivation,  and  will  grow 
nearly  everywhere  with  plenty  of  air  and  sun,  but 
cannot  live  in  shady  places.  The  new  plants  are  raised 
from  seeds,  v/hich  are  planted  in  rows  in  furrows  from 
four  to  six  inches  deep,  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  in 
which  beans  are  usually  planted ;  but,  out  of  this  num- 
ber of  seeds,  probably  but  a  few  in  each  hill  will  sprout, 
owing  to  the  decay  produced  by  the  excessive  quantity 
of  oil  they  contain.  The  proper  time  for  tea-planting 
is  in  November  or  December,  when  it  sprouts  through 
the  ground  in  about  thirty  days.  By  the  ensuing 
May,  the  plant  reaches  a  height  of  about  fourteen 
inches,  when  the  perfect  and  tender  leaves  are  stripped 
off",  and  are  placed  under  immediate  manipulation. 
They  are  first  put  in  a  large  copper  pan  and  roasted, 
then  put  in  baskets  and  shaken  and  swung  in  the 
wind  until  they  are  dried  of  the  moisture  that  has 
been  exuded  by  the  heat,  then  roasted  again,  then 
rolled  in  the  palms  of  the  hand  to  separate  the  leaves, 
and  prevent  their  crumbling  into  powder,  then  dried 
again  in  the  baskets  by  shaking  and  swinging,  and 
then  put  in  jars,  when  tliey  are  ready  for  market. 
The  black  teas  are  roasted  three  times,  the  green 
teas  but  once  or  twice.  Every  year  the  trees  or 
shrubs  are  trimmed  down  to  a  height  of  about  three 
feet ;  after  having  reached  that  height,  and  when  prop- 


BEET  SUGAR. 


339 


erly  taken  care  of,  they  will  produce  good  crops  for 
upw9,rd  of  thirty  years.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that 
the  plants  should  have  the  morning  sun,  and  be  on  the 
south  side  of  a  hill,  or  the  leaves  will  become  yellow, 
and  the  tea  be  of  an  inferior  quality. 

The  soil  and  climate  of  California,  for  the  growth  and 
curing  of  tea,  are  pronounced  unequalled  in  any  part 
of  the  world.  The  foot-hills  and  western  slope  of  the 
.  Sierras  up  to  the  deep  snow  line  are  estimated  as  well 
adapted  to  tea-raising.  A  great  portion  of  the  teas 
now  used  in  the  United  States  come  direct  by  steam- 
ship from  China  and  Japan  toi  San  Francisco,  whence  it 
is  transported  overland  by  rail  to  the  Atlantic  cities. 

California  cannot  be  expected  to  compete  with  China 
and  Japan  in  raising  tea,  if  it  were  only  the  difference 
in  the  cost  of  labor  between  them;  but  at  some  future 
period  California  will  doubtless  reckon  among  her 
varied  and  remunerative  productions  that  of  tea. 


Beet  Sugar. — California  possesses  many  advantages 
over  France,  Germany,  and  other  beet-growing  coun- 
tries. The  vast  alkaline  regions  of  the  State,  as  well 
as  the  rich  bottom-lands  of  the  valleys,  produce  beets 
of  enormous  size  and  superior  quality,  without  artificial 
manure.  Owing  to  the  mild  climate,  beets  can  remain 
in  the  field  until  they  are  wanted  for  use,  or,  if  pulled, 
can  be  piled  in  the  open  air  or  under  some  frail  shed 
without  danger  of  rot  or  frost.  Then,  too,  owing  to  the 
long,  dry  summer,  and  bright  sun,  the  California  sugar- 
beet  possesses  more  strength  than  do  the  beets  of  any 
other  portion  of  the  globe.  About  forty  tons  of  sugar- 
beet  can  be  grown  upon  an  acre  of  land  in  California, 


i  W 


\\ 


340 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


which  can  be  bought  for  one-eighth  the  price  of  land  in 
Europe,  which  will  not  produce  one-half  the  yield,. 

Europe  now  derives  most  of  her  sugar  from  the  beet, 
which  for  more  than  forty  years  has  kept  constantly  in- 
creasing as  a  basis  of  permanent  supply.  More  than 
one  thousand  beet-sugar  mills  are  now  in  operation  in 
Europe. 

Two  companies  have  recently  erected  beet-sugar 
mills  in  California;  and  a  mill  in  successful  operation 
at  Alvarado,  Alameda  county,  has  placed  a  superior 
article  of  sugar  in  the  market.  The  State  should  not 
only  make  all  the  sugar  used  on  the  coast,  but  soon 
become  a  large  exporter  of  that  staple  of  commerce. 

Cotton  and  Rice. — Some  attempts  at  raising  cotton 
have  been  made  in  California,  with  good  success.  In 
some  sections  of  the  southern  portion  of  tlie  State 
cotton  will  grow  well,  and  the  soil  and  climate  seem 
to  be  well  adapted  to  its  production. 

Much  of  the  tule  and  other  low  and  overflowed  lands 
of  the  State  are  suited  to  rice-growing,  but  so  far  no 
practicable  attempt  has  been  made  in  this  direction,  ex- 
cept upon  a  very  small  scale  upon  some  of  the  islands 
in  the  Sacramento  river. 

Silk. — ^The  mulberry  tree,  upon  the  leaves  of  which 
the  silk-worm  feeds,  grows  in  every  county  in  Califor- 
nia; there  are  half  a  million  trees  in  the  State.  Sacra- 
mento, El  Dorado,  Yolo,  Los  Angeles,  and  Sutter  are 
the  chief  silk-producing  counties.  The  balmy,  even  cli- 
mate of  California,  free  from  oppressive  frosts,  sudden 
changes,  thunder  storms,  and  protracted  damps  and 
colds,  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  growth  of  silk  and 


SILK  MANUFACTURE. 


341 


the  breeding  of  the  silk-worm.  The  Japanese  worms 
thrive  best  in  California,  and  the  staple  produced  is 
longer  and  finer  than  the  best  varieties  of  France  or 
Italy.  An  excellent  quality  of  dress  silk  has  been 
manufactured  in  the  State;  but  a  general  ignorance  in 
reference  to  the  raising  and  feeding  of  the  worms,  and 
also  of  the  cultivation  of  the  mulberry  tree,  has  gready 
retarded  an  important  branch  of  industry,  for  which  ' 
California  is  eminently  fitted. 

A  small  factory,  for  the  manufacture  of  silk,  has  been 
recently  erected  at  San  Jose,  and  one  manufacturing 
thread  only  at  San  Francisco.     The  prospects  of  Cali- 
fornia, at  some  future  day,  becoming  an  extensive  sil'^ 
manufacturing  district  are  very  encouraging. 


■panm 


MMi 


342 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Sheep  and  wool — Horses — Cattle  raising  and  branding — Rodeos — 
Native  horsemanship — Lassoing  grizzly  bears — Poultry  and  bees. 

<  Sheep  and  Wool. — Both  the  climate  and  soil  of 
California  are  admirably  adapted  to  sheep.  The  even 
temperature,  generally  dry  weather,  freeness  from  de- 
structive storms,  wide  range  of  pasture,  and  the  fact 
that  sheep  do  not  require  shelter  or  food  other  than 
what  nature  supplies,  greatiy  reduces  the  cost  and  labor 
so  necessary  in  the  Atlantic  States  and  Europe. 

Flocks  in  California  are  free  from  disease,  and  the 
loss  by  wild  animals  not  a  quarter  of  that  throughout 
the  Atlantic  States.  Sheep  grow  fast  and  mature 
earlier  in  California  than  in  ..ny  other  part  of  America. 
Ewes  generally  have  lambs  when  one  year  old,  and 
twins  and  triplets  are  common. 

The  original  stock  of  sheep  was  of  a  very  inferior 
quality,  and  consisted  of  the  remnants  of  the  old  mission 
flocks  and  bands  of  very  inferior  stock  brought  into  the 
State  overland  from  New  Mexico.  But  as  the  impor- 
tance of  wool-growing  begins  to  attract  attentipn,  the 
stock  is  exhibiting  signs  of  decided  improvement  by 
the  introduction  of  pure-blooded  sheep.  Still  there  are 
flocks  of  the  old  stock  (Mexican  sheep)  yet  in  the  State, 
roaming  the  sandy  and  dusty  plains  of  the  southern 
section  of  California,  as  much  like  wolves,  as  regards 
wool,  as  like  sheep.  This  class  averages  a  fleece  of 
wool,  sand,  and  dirt,  as  it  is  sheared,  of  only  two  pounds. 
Inferior  American  sheep  in  the  State  average  a  clip  of 
four  pounds ;  while  merino  and  improved  breeds  yield 


SHEEP  AND   WOOL. 


343 


from  six  or  eight  to  twelve  and  twenty  pounds.  The 
largest  fleece  produced  in  the  State  was  by  a  Frimch 
merino  buck  in  Monterey  county — forty-two  pounds. 
All  these  weights  are  given  before  the  fleeces  are 
washed. 

The  raising  of  sheep  for  their  wool  was  first  com- 
menced in  California  in  1853,  and  since  tliat  period  the 
increase  has  been  steady.  The  first  exportation  of 
wool  from  the  State  was  in  1855 — three  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  pounds.  The  wool  crop  of  California 
for  1 87 1  reached  twenty-eight  million  pounds,  worth 
about  seven  million  fiVfe  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Of 
the  entire  growth,  four  million  pounds  were  used  in  the 
factories  in  California,  and  twenty-two  million  five  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds  sold  in  the  Atlantic  States,  of 
which  2,223,322  pounds  went  by  sea,  and  20,100,182 
pounds  by  rail. 

The  remarkable  development  of  wool-growing  in 
California,  and  the  unlimited  extent  to  which  it  may 
attain  in  the  genial  climate  and  on  the  broad  ranges  of 
the  Golden  State,  and  the  importance  of  this  product  to 
the  nation,  may  be  ascertained  in  some  degree  by  the 
table  here  giving  the  export  of  wool  from  San  Francisco 
during  the  past  fifteen  years: 


YEAR. 

FOUNDS. 

VAI.UB. 

YBAR. 

POUNDS. 

VALUX. 

1857.  . 

1,100,000,  . 

»i73,Soo 

1865,  . 

.   6,473.000,  . 

.  1,350,000 

1858,  . 

.   1,430,000,  . 

200,000 

1866,  . 

.   4,674,000,  . 

950,000 

1859,  . 

2,37S.ooo,  . 

3S3.SOO 

1867,  . 

.   7,048,000,  . 

.  1,215,000 

i860,  . 

3,170,000,  . 

400,000 

1868,  . 

.  13,225,000,  . 

.  2,428,000 

1861,  . 

3,730,000,  . 

510,000 

1869,  . 

.  13,274,000,  . 

.  2,454,000 

1862,  . 

5,900,000,  . 

1,062,000 

1870,  . 

.  19,010,000,  . 

.  3,506,000 

1863,  . 

2,270,000,  . 

1,230,000 

1871,  . 

.  22,323,000,  . 

.  6,697',ooo 

1864,  . 

.  5,930,000,  . 

1,252,000 

There  are  about  two  million  five  hundred  thousand 
sheep  and  twenty-five  thousand  Cashmere  and  Angora 


344 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


goats  in  the  State.  Flocks  of  three,  eight,  ten,  and 
twenty  thousand  are  not  uncommon;  and  one  sheep- 
raiser  in  the  southern  section  of  the  State,  who,  in  1853, 
commenced  in  poverty  to  raise  sheep,  has  now  about 
eighty  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  owns  forty  thousand 
sheep,  chiefly  of  superior  breeds. 

There  are  six  woollen  mills  in  California,  which  use 
annually  over  four  million  pounds  of  wool.  Cassi- 
meres,  tweeds,  flannels,  a  variety  of  other  goods,  and 
blankets,  are  produced  at  these  mills  Only  the  finest 
grades,  of  wool  are  used,  and  the  California  made 
blankets,  in  size,  weight,  and  fineness,  surpass  those 
made  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  California  is  now 
highest  on  the  list  of  Virool-producing  States  in  the 
Union. 


Cattle. — As  early  as  the  first  settlement  of  Cali- 
fornia, cattle  were  introduced  from  Spain  and  Mexico. 
But  little  atte.'ition  was  paid  to  milk  or  butter,  and 
cattle  of  everv  description  and  age  ran  wild  together. 
They  soon  mukiplied,  and  in  great  herds  grazed  upon 
the  hills  and  roamed  the  valleys  as  wild  as  deer.  They 
were  used  only  for  beef  and  for  dieir  hides  and  tallow, 
which,  for  many  years  previous  to  the  American  occu- 
pation of  the  country,  formed  the  chief  export.  At 
this  early  period  cows  were  never  milked;  when  beef 
was  wanted,  the  vaquero,  reata  in  hand,  mounted  his 
fleet  horse,  dashed  into  the  band,  and,  snaring  one,  led 
it  to  the  slaughter;  or,  when  hides  and  tallow  were 
wanted  for  the  trading  vessels  of  the  coast,  whole  herds 
were  slaughtered  upon  the  field,  the  hides  and  tallow 
carried  away,  and  the  carcass  left  where  the  animal 
was  slain.     Great  numbers  of  Spanish  cattle  still  roam 


SC] 

va 


CATTLE  AND  HORSES. 


345 


over  the  southern  portion  of  the  State ;  these  cattle  re- 
semble the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest  more  than  cows; 
they  are  generally  of  a  yellowish-brown  or  drab  color, 
with  large,  dark  circles  round  the  eyes  and  nostrils; 
long,  slim  legs,  as  lank  as  a  hound  and  fleet  as  a  deer; 
their  horns  grow  immense,  sometimes  measuring  eight 
feet  from  tip  to  tip.  As  all  the  herders  and  vaqueros 
are  always  mounted,  these  catde,  not  being  accus- 
tomed to  see  a  man  on  foot,  will,  when  they  chance  to 
see  one,  encircle  him,  and  often  with  great  fury  attack 
him. 

The  introduction  of  superior  stock  is  fast  absorbing 
the  original  Sjpanish  cattle  of  the  State;  but  immense 
bands  of  Spanish  and  mixed  cattle  yet  run  wild. 

Except  in  a  few  instances  where  cows  are  milked,  or 
a  few  oxen  worked,  cattle  are  never  handled:  they 
roam,  cows,  calves,  and  all,  in  great  herds.  Once  a 
year,  at  least — ^generally  in  the  spring — there  is  a  gen- 
eral rodeo,  or  gathering,  of  the  cattle  and  horses  together, 
that  all  the  young  ones  may  be  branded  according  to 
law;  as  a  statute  imposes  the  duty  upon  all  stock  own- 
ers to  brand  with  a  hot  iron  all  cattle  and  horses  on 
the  hip  with  some  letter  or  sign,  which  shall  be  recorded 
as  their  mark. 

The  general  rodeo  is  a  season  of  great  activity  and 
excitement,  from  a  week  to  ten  days  generally  being 
spent  in  the  exciting  business  of  collecting  every  de- 
scription of  cattle  within  a  wide  district  into  some  small 
valley,  where  a  corral  or  pen  is  erected,  the  object 
being  to  secure  every  unmarked  animal  so  that  the 
owner  may  imprint  his  brand  upon  it.  To  accomplish 
this  the  vaquero,  mounted  upon  his  fleet  steed,  or  a 
dozen  of  them   thus   mounted,  gallop  in  among  the 


•  1 


i 


346 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE 


cattle,  Others  circling  the  bands  to  keep  them  together; 
pursuit  is  given  to  an  unbranded  animal,  the  race  con- 
tinuing amidst  the  swaying,  tossing,  thousands  of  cat- 
tle bellowing,  running,  pawing,  and  raising  clouds  of 
dust,  through  which  the  active  riders  whirl,  gallop,  and 
plunge  as  they  swing  their  reatas.  When  an  animal 
is  looped  by  the  neck,  horns,  of  foot,  it  is  led  to  the 
branding  place,  secured,  and  the  hot  iron  pressed  deep 
upon  the  hip. 

At  these  seasons  each  band  is  separated,  and  the 
vaqueros  .keep  a  kind  of  guardianship  over  the  herds. 
During  these  gatherings  the  cattle- owners  and  va- 
querof  v.?.mp  out,  or  at  some  neighbor's  house  hold 
fandangos,  and,  amidst  a  copious  supply  "^f  wine  and 
eatables,  conclude  their  great  annual  rodeo. 

The  horsemanship  of  the  vaquero  during  these  ex- 
citing scenes  is  a  most  interesting  feature  of  the  per- 
formance. The  fleetness  of  horses  and  the  dexterity 
with  which  the  lasso  is  thrown  a**e  often  made  tests  of 
efficiency  between  contestants  for  superior  horseman- 
ship. 

The  horse  is  so  trained  that,  without  the  use  of  bridle 
or  rein,  he  will  follow,  however  long  or  devious  the 
course,  the  animal  selected  for  capture;  and,  antici- 
pating every  move  of  his  rider,  will  watch  the  throwing 
of  the  lariat,  brace  himself,  or  fall  upon  his  Launches, 
and,  with  the  raw-hide  reata  stretched  from  the  cap- 
tured animal  to  the  pummel  of  the  saddle,  lead  the 
most  refractor^'  animal  at  will. 

So  expert,  too,  is  the  vaquero  in  the  u  .e  of  the  Uriat 
that,  coiling  it  in  a  loose  bunch  in  his  h£  nd,  swinging  it 
about  his  head  he  will  throw  the  bunch,  one  end  being 
still  fast  to  the  saddle,  and  snare  by  the  foot,  horn,  or 


CATTLE  AND  HORSES. 


347 


neck   in  animal  whilst  his  horse  is  under  full  gallop. 
Should  his  hat,  his  knife,  or  rope  fall,  he  never  dis- 
mounts, and  seldom  slackens  his  speed,  but,  whilst  his 
horse  is  on  the  full  run,  swoops  down  upon  the  ground 
with  one  hand,  while  his  heel  or  spur  pressed  under  the 
saddle-girth  holds  him  to  his  position  on  his  horse.    The 
greatest  skill  and  dexterity  of  the  vaquero  is  exhibited 
in  ca*:rhing  wild  animals.     At  an  early  day,  and  before 
fire-arms  were  much  in  use,  wild  cattle,  horses,  elk,  deer, 
and  all  other  animals,  whether  for  domestic  uses  or  for 
the  sake  of  their  flesh,  were  caught  with  the  lasso;  and 
the  Mexican  hunter  started  in  pursuit  of  the  grizzly 
bear  mounted  upon  his  fleet  pony,  and  armed  only  with 
a  raw-h'de  rope.     Generally  three,  four,  or  more  of 
these  mounted  hunters  thus  armed  v/ould   scour  the 
gulches  and  mountains  until  they  found  their  game. 
The  formidable  grizzly,  surrounded  by  the  expert  va- 
queros,  would  soon  find  himself  snared  by  the  neck  by 
two  or  three  sharp  hide  ropes,  with  one  end  of  each 
fast  to  the  saddle-pummel,  and  horses  drawing  in  '^  >- 
posite   directions ;   thus,  half  strangled,  leaping,   and 
gnawing  at  the  lariat,  the  unlucky  animal  is  caught  by 
the   legs   by  the   reatas   of  other   riders   and   either 
despatched  by  the  hunter's  knife,  strangled  to  death,  or, 
surrounded  by  horses  and  lines,  led  an  unwilling  cap- 
tive to  the  rancho  of  the  hunter.     Some  of  these  en- 
counters have  been  most  desperate  and  hard  fought. 
Lassomg  grizzly  bears  is  attended  with  great  danger, 
and  few  persons  knowing  the  immense  strength  of 
these  animals  desire  to  experiment  upon  such  game. 
But  the  Mexican  fears  nothing  when  armed  with  the 
reata  and  mounted  upon  his  horse. 

Cattle,  as  well  as  all  other  live  stock  in  California, 


mm 


348  ^-SZ    GOLDEN  STATE. 

run  at  large,  are  never  housed,  nor  receive  food,  except 
what  nature  provides  for  them. 

During  ^.xtremely  dry  seasons,  when  the  pasturage 
becomes  scarce,  and  the  soil  almost  parched,  cattle 
suffer  for  want  of  food :  at  such  periods,  large  numbers 
are  driven  to  the  mountains,  generally  to  the  Sierras, 
where  the  natural  meadows  and  wild  grass  s  keep 
green  during  the  greater  part  of  summer. 

Farmers  have  been  in  the  habit  of  buriiin^,  their 
straw  upon  the  field  in  the  fall:  of  late  years,  straw 
has  been  more  generally  heaped  up  in  the  fields,  some- 
times under  large  sheds.  During  the  drought  of  sum- 
mer and  the  cold  rains  of  winter,  cattle  gather  round 
these  stacks  and  keep  in  good  condition,  while  those 
having  to  depend  upon  what  they  can  gather  from  the 
parched  soil  often  suffer. 

The  number  of  neat  cattle  in  the  State  is  about 
one  million;  the  largest  number  in  any  one  county  ir- 
in  Merced — sixty  thousand ;  the  next  largest  numbi .  ^ 
are  in  Kern,  Tulare,  Colusa,  and  San  Diego.  Ma.*)) 
county  contains  about  twenty-four  thousand  head  of 
cattle,  and  is  the  greatest  dairy  county  in  the  State. 
The  celebrated  ranche  (farm)  of  the  Shafter  Brothers, 
containing  seventy-five  thousand  acres,  is  in  this  county: 
this  is  supposed  to  be  the  largest  dairy  farm  in  the 
world.  There  are  no  "dairy-maids"  in  California,  milk- 
ing and  butter  and  cheese  making  being  done  by  -:*•  :n. 

The  whole  State  produces  about  six  million  pou'uis^ 
of  butter  annually,  and  one-third  of  this  whole  amount 
is  produced  in  Marin  count v,  v/hich  has  but  about 
twenty-four  thousand  neat  citde,  al'  1  )ld,  out  of  one 
million,  in  the  State.     Merced  county,  with  sixty  thou- 


5 
o 

ft 
o 


1; 
C 
JO 


CATTLE  AND  HOFSES. 


3^9 


sand  head  of  cattle,  produces  but  about  nine  thousand 
pounds  of  butter  annually.  California  produces  about 
five  million  pounds  of  cheese  annually.  Santa  Clara 
and  Monterey  counties  produce  jointly  three  million' 
pounds,  leaving  but  two  million  pounds  to  the  entire 
remainder  of  the  State.  Santa  Clara  county  makes  as 
much  cheese  as  all  the  State,  outside  of  Santa  Clara 
and  Monterey  counties;  Santa  Clara  county  has  but 
twenty-two  thousand  cattle,  seven  thousand  of  which 
are  cows. 

Spanish  cows  give  but  little  milk,  and  in  many  of  the 
southern  counties,  where  immense  herds  of  cattle  roam, 
rr^t^k,  butter,  and  cheese  are  unknown.  The  squatter 
and  i.-^nchero  have  their  frail  abodes  solitary  and  alone 
on  the  vast  plain,  or  by  the  side  of  some  sluggish  stream 
or  tule  bottom ;  and  here  they  raise  their  children,  with- 
out ever  tasting  milk,  butter,  or  cHeese.  It  is  a  strange 
commentary  upon  domestic  economy  to  see  vast  droves 
of  cows,  calves  and  all,  running  wild,  fairly  swarming 
the  country,  and  surrounding  the  houses  in  which  dwell 
sickly  and  green-looking  women,  who  live  upon  hou 
biscuits  rank  with  saleratus,  squash  and  salt  bacon — 
they  and  their  children — without  knowing  the  use  or 
benefits  of  the  dairy.  In  one  portion,  at  least,  of  the 
southern  counties,  where  cattle  are  so  numerous  that 
they  swarm  around  the  telegraph  poles  to  scratch  them- 
selves in  such  numbers  that  they  cut  down  the  poles 
for  miles,  although  they  are  made  of  eight-inch-square 
sawed  lumber,  and  in  some  instances  driven  thick  with 
spikes,  the  cattle  swarming  round  them  in  a  circle,  and 
each  one  giving  a  rub  in  its  hurried  march;  yet  in  this 
section  the  traveller,  for  a  journey  of  two   hundred 


350 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


miles,  cannot  get  a  taste  of  butter  or  cheese,  nor  milk 
to  color  his  black  and  bitter  coffee. 

Notwithstanding  the  genial  climate,  wide  range,  and 
splendid  pasturage  of  California,  fully  one-third  of  all 
the  butter  used  in  the  State  is  imported  from  the  At- 
lantic States;  this,  too,  is  the  case  with  Oregon,  Wash- 
ington Territory,  and  British  Columbia.  The  people 
of  these  regions  send  their  orders  from  their  perpetual 
green  fields  and  rich  pasturage  to  New  York  and  even 
to  the  icy  land  of  Canada  for  their  butter.  This,  per- 
haps, is  not  worse  than  sending  to  Boston,  New  York, 
and  Philadelphia  for  dried  fruits,  from  California  and 
Oregon,  when  thousands  of  tons  of  green  fruit  can  be 
gathered  in  the  orchards  of  these  States,  and  bought 
for  less  than  the  freight  from  the  east.  Through  most 
parts  of  the  Pacific  coast  dried  fruits  are  imported 
thousands  of  miles  at  great  cost,  while  the  ground  in 
many  orchards  is  covered  with  superior  fruit,  which 
rots  in  tons  every  year. 


The  Horse. — Of  all  parts  of  the  world  California  is 
the  favorite  land  for  the  horse :  here  he  has  for  centu- 
ries roamed  at  will  over  the  vast  rich  valleys,  where  the 
native  grass,  flowers,  and  wild  oats  grow  luxuriantly. 

Previous  to  the  American  occupation  of  the  country, 
the  horse  was  not  doomed  to  the  servile  labor  of  draw- 
ing the  plow  or  wheeled  carriage,  as  no  such  articles 
were  known  to  the  population :  his  only  occupation  was 
to  carry  his  master  upon  his  back ;  stables  and  harness 
were  equally  unknown. 

The  original  stock  introduced  into  the  country  from 
Spain  and  Mexico  possessed  excellent  qualities  for 
the  saddle,  being  light  bodied,  high  spirited,  and  fleet. 


THE  HORSE. 


351 


After  roaming  wild  in  great  bands,  without  any  care, 
the  stock  soon  degenerated  to  all  sorts  of  base  colors — 
claybank,  drab,  and  spotted ;  leaving  few  of  the  deep 
bay,  iron-gray,  pure  white,  or  jet  black:  still  the  spirit, 
endurance,  and  speed  of  the  original  Spani^  stock 
remained,  and,  while  the  California  horse  became  un- 
fitted for  heavy  draught,  he  became  the  finest  saddle- 
horse  in  the  world,  able  to  carry  his  rider  sixty  and  one 
hundred  miles  in  a  day  over  a  rough  road,  and  perform 
these  journeys  several  days  in  succession,  without  other 
food  than  could  be  gathered  from  the  soil  on  his  journey. 

The  California  horse  rarely  trots  or  walks :  his  gait, 
under  the  saddle,  is  a  fast  gallop,  which  he  will  keep 
up,  over  hill  and  down  mountain  sides  alike,  through  a 
whole  day's  journey,  and  generally  pressing  hard  on 
the  rein,  the  whip  or  spur  being  rarely  necessary. 

Breaking  these  horses  to  the  saddle  is  attended  with 
much  diflftculty.  Many  of  them  at  four,  five,  and  even 
ten  years  of  age  have  never  been  within  an  enclosure, 
nor  had  the  hand  of  man  upon  them.  They  are  lassoed, 
like  other  wild  beasts,  blindfolded,  a  saddle  and  bridle 
put  upon  them,  and  then  mounted  by  the  vaquero, 
(rider.)  Rearing,  pitching,  rolling,  and  jumping  stiff- 
legged,  until  they  are  completely  exhausted,  is  a  part 
of  their  first  exercise.  They  are,  however,  soon  broken 
to  the  saddle,  and  from  the  commencement  of  their 
training  rarely  exhibit  a  vicious  disposition,  and,  when 
once  fairly  broken,  are  kind,  gentle,  and  fond  of  their 
master. 

Horses  in  California  increase  fast,  and  are  entirely 
free  from  disease :  bots,  worms,  spavin,  ringbone,  and 
kindred  diseases,  are  almost  unknown.  The  evenness 
of  the  climate,  with  an  abundance  of  good,  wholesome 


■■■■■■■■■I 


352 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE 


food,  and  freedom  from  unwholesome  and  close  stables 
and  attacks  of  colds,  renders  the  horse  healthy,  muscular, 
sound,  and  hardy  beyond  the  horses  of  any  other  part 
of  the  United  States,  if  not  of  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

Of  the  three  hundred  thousand  horses  in  California, 
fully  one-half  are  wild  Mexican  stock,  running  in  large 
bands  throughout  the  southern  part  of  the  State.  Many 
thousand  are  owned  by  persons  who  know  them  only 
by  the  brand. 

Throughout  the  State  generally  the  horse  is  an  in- 
dispensable domestic  servant.  Everybody  rides:  men 
going  to  their  employment  in  the  fields  mount  their 
horses;  neighbors  visiting,  and  children  going  to  school 
in  the  country,  all  ride.  It  is  rare  to  see  a  person 
making  a  journey  on  foot,  except  in  the  mining  regions. 

California  has  many  fine  roads,  and  to  all  parts  of  the 
interior  the  chief  travel  is  done  by  stages — large,  com- 
fortable Concord  coaches  —  carrying  from  twelve  to 
twenty  persons,  and  drawn  by  four  or  six  horses. 
Relays  of  fresh  horses  are  kept  at  each  ten  or  twelve 
miles  on  the  road,  and  while  in  the  coach  are  generally 
at  a  gallop,  and  the  speed  with  which  these  horses  dash 
down  the  mountain  sides,  and  over  and  along  the  deep 
gulches  and  beside  the  frowning  precipices,  is  fearful. 

In  the  cities  and  towns,  horses  are  very  numerous, 
and  in  San  Francisco  county  (which  is  but  the  size  of 
the  city)  there  are  over  ten  thousand  horses.  Los 
Angeles  county  has  the  largest  number  of  horses  of 
any  county  in  the  State — fifteen  thousand. 

There  being  neither  timothy  nor  clover  in  California, 
the  native  grasses,  wild  oats,  oats,  and  barley,  cut  green, 
form  the  hay-feed  of  horses.  Barley,  which  grows  very 
abundandy,  and  has  a  very  large,  dry,  and  plump  grain, 


MULES  AND  HOGS. 


353 


is  supplied  to  horses  generally,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
superior  to  oats  for  this  purpose. 

The  introduction  of  superior  horses  into  the  State  is 
fast  improving  the  native  stock,  and  the  cross  between 
the  imported  and  native  horse  has  many  points  of 
superiority  not  to  be  found  in  either  in  their  original 
purity. 

Mules  are  not  generally  used  in  the  State.  At  an 
early  day  the  carrying  of  freight  into  the  mines  and 
over  the  mountains  was  done  chiefly  by  pack-trains  of 
mules ;  but  of  late  years  rail  and  wagon  roads  have 
supplanted  them.  There  are  but  about  twenty-eight 
thousand  mules  in  the  State,  scattered  through  each 
county;  Mendocino  county  having  about  three  thou- 
sand— more  than  double  that  of  any  other  county  in  the 
State.  Mules  are  no  more  serviceable  than  horses, 
and  cost  generally  more  than  double  as  much  as  the 
ordinary  farm-horse.  Much  of  the  heavy  hauling  and 
of  the  labor  connected  with  the  government  service  is 
still  done  by  mules. 

Oxen  are  rarely  used,  either  upon  the  farm  or  for 
general  labor,  in  California ;  they  are  considered  too 
slow,  and  except  in  the  lumber  districts  are  scarcely  to 
be  seen.  All  the  ploughing  and  farm  work  is  done  by 
horses  and  mules. 


Hogs. — The  greater  part  of  the  State  of  California  is 
not  well  adapted  for  hogs:  it  is  too  dry ;  but  in  the  tule 
and  low  lands  they  thrive  well.  Labor  and  food  for 
hogs  are  too  expensive  to  make  the  raising  of  hogs 
profitable  where  they  have  to  be  fed  by  hand.  There 
are  six  hundred  thousand  hogs  in  the  State ;  still  the 
increase  has  been  but  little  for  many  years.    Considera- 

23 


354 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


ble  quantities  of  bacon  and  hani  are  cured  in  the  State; 
and  as  the  Chinese  in  the  country  use  no  other  meat 
but  fresh  pork,  much  of  the  pork  of  the  State  is  con- 
sumed by  these  people. 

Poultry — Turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  and  hens  all  thrive 
well  in  California,  and  many  a  fortune  has  had  its  foun- 
dation laid  in  the  hen's  nest,  in  the  State,  in  the  early 
days  when  eggs  were  from  three  to  ten  dollars  per 
dozen,  and  chickens  from  two  to  ten  dollars  per  pair. 
The  aggregate  number  of  turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  and 
fowls  In  the  State  is  one  million  five  hundred  thousand. 

Bees. — Bees  do  well  all  over  the  Pacific  coast.  In 
Oregon  they  make  honey  from  the  branches  of  the  fir 
trees;  and  in  California  the  mild  climate  and  the  abun- 
dance of  wild  flowers  enable  bees  to  make  honey  eight 
to  ten  months  In  the  year,  and  to  propagate  their  species 
with  great  rapidity,  one  hive  often  producing  twenty 
swarms  in  a  year.  The  production  of  honey  in  Cali- 
fornia is  much  greater  than  In  any  other  part  of  the 
United  States,  and  Is  about  five  times  as  much  as  is 
produced  In  the  Atlantic  States.  There  are  about  sixty 
thousand  hives  in  California,  Colusa  count)'  having  six- 
teen thousand — more  than  one-fourth  of  all  the  hives 
in  the  State:  then  comes  Butte  county,  with  twenty- 
five  hundred  hives ;  next  comes  Stanislaus  county,  with 
about  two  thousand  hives;  and  Monterey  and  Los 
Angeles  counties,  with  about  eighteen  hundred  each. 
Bees  will  thrive  well  In  every  county  in  the  State. 

In  the  southern  section  of  California  great  quantities 
of  bees  have  swarmed  In  the  trunks  of  hollow  trees 
and  become  wild.  There  are  great  quantities  of  honey 
obtained  annually  from  these  deserters. 


THK  GIANTESS  GF.YSFR. 


THE   GREAT  GEYSER    OF  THE    FIRE-HOLE 
BASIN. 
(Yellowstone  Region,  Wyoming  Territory.    Line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Ril^roa-l.) 


BRIDAL  VEIL  FALL,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 
(630  fleet  high.) 


NOTRH   DOME  AND  ROYAL  ARCHES,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 
(3,568  feet  high  above  the  Valley.) 


MANUFACTURES. 


v.^-' 


355 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Natural  advantages^— Regularity  of  climate — Perpetual  summer — 
Advantages  for  manufacturing — Interest  on  money — Manufacto- 
ries— Railroads  first  in  California — Great  overland  railroad :  build- 
ing and  completion  of — Government  aid  in  bonds  and  lands  to 
railroads — "The  last  tie" — Rejoicings  at  the  completion  of  the 
great  national  highway — Ocean,  bay,  and  river  navigation — Ship- 
building— Telegraphs,  postage,  and  post-offioes — United  States 
branch  mint — Circulating  mc  .um — Mints  on  the  Pacific  coast — 
Navy-yard — Commerce — Exports  of  gold  and  merchandise — Ag- 
ricultural and  mechanical  products — Decline  in  gold-mining — 
Shipping  of  San  Francisco — Imports  and  exports — Effects  of  the 
overland  railroad. 

California  possesses  many  natural  advantages 
beyond  most  other  States  in  the  Union,  which  must 
ultimately  be  productive  of  great  benefits.  The  water- 
power  of  the  dashing  streams  of  the  Sierras  alone  is 
greater  than  the  whole  water-power  of  New  England; 
the  Coast  Range,  too,  particularly  north  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, as  well  as  many  other  parts  of  the  State,  has 
vast  water-power,  only  waiting  the  hand  of  skilled  labor 
to  call  it  into  turning  the  wheels  of  an  active  manufac- 
ture which  must  at  some  day  not  far  distant  form  an 
important  branch  of  the  industry  of  the  State;  nor  are 
these  magnificent  water-powers  subjected  to  the  pinch- 
ing frosts  of  winter,  which  for  so  many  months  in  the 
year  bind  up  ^e  forces  of  the  streams,  clog  the  wheels, 
and  hold  in  icy  embrace  the  industry  of  large  sections 
of  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  room  of  the  operative  need  not  be  heated  with 
air-consuming  stoves  and  ranges,  nor  the  apartments 
filled  with  foul  air,  caused  by  closed  doors  and  windows; 
nor  the  operative  himself  Imprisoned  in  dark  cells  or 


.-> 


356 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Steam  closets  to  keep  the  animal  forces  ac:ive.  The 
cHmate  of  the  entire  State  is  so  mild  and  the  tem- 
perature so  even  that  the  severe  colds  and  diseases 
engendered  by  the  sudden  changes  of  the  weather 
in  the  Atlantic  States  are  entirely  unknown  in  Cali- 
fornia. 

Neither  chilling  northern  blasts  nor  drifting  snows 
drive  over  bleak  and  barren  fields,  pinching  animal  life 
into  trembling  and  contracted  contortions,  n  Dr  frosting 
the  windows  and  whitening  the  forests.  Winter's  gray 
locks  are  not  shaken  with  terrible  menace  in  the  face 
of  the  poor,  nor  is  the  approach  of  the  new  year  looked 
forward  to  with  contemplations  of  dreaded  cold.  Cali- 
fornia at  this  season  asserts  her  eternal  summer  by  new 
robes  of  green,  and  the  window  of  the  cotter,  instead 
of  the  ice-crystallizations  and  snow-bank  adornments 
of  the  Atlantic  slope,  are  festooned  and  adorned  with 
running  vines;  ivy,  and  delicate  flowers. 

Throughout  the  State,  wherever  mechanical  skill  is 
exercised  and  manufactures  are  carried  on,  the  bene- 
ficial effects  of  a  genial  climate  and  rich  soil  are  mani- 
fest by  the  ea:>e,  comfort,  and  increasing  prosperity  of 
the  mechanic.  With  all  the  natural  advantages  of  Cali- 
fornia for  manufacturing,  but  little  advance  has  been 
made,  except  in  the  actual  necessities  for  every -day 
consumption  and  of  the  commonest  articles  of  domestic 
use.  The  cause  of  this  has  been  the  high  rates  of 
wages,  the  sparse  population,  and  the  high  rates  of  in- 
terest, want  of  cheap  transportation,  and  many  other 
causes  incident  to  a  new  country. 

The  crushing  of  quartz,  cabinet  work,  sawing  of  lum- 
ber, casting  of  iron,  and  making  of  flour  form  the  chief 


bro( 


MA  NUFA  CTURES. 


357 


mechanical  industry  of  the  State ;  and,  although  most 
of  tlie  raw  m.aterial  n  ecessary  in  a  varied  manufacturing 
industry  is  produced  in  great  abundance  in  California — 
metals,  wood,  leather,  wool,  and  other  articles — yet  the 
State  cannot  compete  in  manufacturer  with  the  old, 
setded  portions  of  America,  Europe,  and  Asia ;  where 
cheap  labor,  low  interest,  and  systematized  skill  offset 
the  natural  advantages  of  the  Golden  State.  In  many 
parts  of  Europe  and  Asia,  capital  for  mechanical 
industry  can  be  obtained  at  from  three  to  seven  per 
cent,  per  annum ;  while  in  California,  short  loans,  se- 
cured by  good  collateral,  payable  in  sixty  and  ninety 
days,  bear  interest  at  from  one  to  three  p'"'*  cent,  per 
month.  Still,  notwithstanding  all  these  drawbacks,  Cali- 
fornia is  battling  bravely  in  the  field  of  inechanical  In- 
dustry; and,  although  her  manufactures  are  confined  to 
a  few  articles,  and  within  small  limits,  the  efforts  in  pro- 
ducing woollen  goods,  cordage,  powder,  glass,  paper, 
machinery,  pottery,  castings,  shot,  lead  pipe,  refined 
sugar,  furniture,  wood-ware,  rolling  stock,  files,  salt, 
fuse,  soap,  candles,  glue,  oil,  matches,  lime,  cement, 
chemicals,  boots  and  shoes,  carriages,  agricultural  im- 
plements, saddlery,  malting,  billferd  tables,  pianos, 
brooms,  pails,  books,  clothing,  cigars,  spirits,  ale,  and 
wine  form  no  inconsiderable  feature  of  the  prosperity 
of  the  State.  San  Francisco  i^  daily  growing  into  im- 
portance in  manufacture,  and,  by  degrees,  as  the  price 
of  labor  becomes  lower,  and  the  one  and  a-half  and  two 
per  cent,  per  month  bankers  relax  their  grip,  and  money 
can  be  obtained  at  reduced  rates  of  interest,  many 
branches  of  mechanical  industry  now  struggling  for 
recognition  will  become  extensive  and  profitable. 


■«■ 


358 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


RAILROADS. 

In  1 841,  there  were  in  the  whole  United  States  but 
3,535  miles  of  railroad  in  operation ;  in  1850,  but  8,876. 
In  1870,  there  were  fifty  thousand  miles,  of  which  the 
six  New  England  States  had  4,494,  against  589  in 
1 841;  the  six  Middle  States,  10,991,  against  1,837  ^^ 
1 841 ;  the  ten  Western  States,  23,769,  against  196  in 
1 841;  and  the  twelve  Southern  States,  12,468,  against 
913  in  1841  ;  and- the  Pacific  coast,  which  as  late  as 
1854  had  not  a  foot  and  in  1855  but  eight  miles  of  rail- 
road, had,  in  1870,  1,677,  ^s  follows:  California,  925; 
Oregon,  159;  and  Nevada,  593;  all  of  which  have  since 
largely  increased,  there  now  being  thousands  of  miles  of 
railroad  projected  through  California,  Oregon,  Nevada, 
Washington  Territory,  Idaho,  Arizona,  and  the  entire 
coast,  connecting  all  the  principal  towns,  valleys,  and 
harbors  in  the  country. 

The  first  railroad  built  in  California  was  the  line  of 
twenty-two  miles  from  Sacramento  City  to  Folsom, 
completed  on  the  ist  of  January,  1856.  The  building 
of  other  roads  soon  followed,  until  the  present,  when  a 
lively  competition  has  projected  and  has  in  active 
course  of  construction  lines  of  road  running  in  all  di- 
rections from  the  great  commercial  centres  of  the  State, 
until  the  rich  agricultural  valleys  lying  between  the 
Coast  Range  and  the  Sierras,  parallel  with  the  ocean 
and  these  chains,  are  completely  dotted  with  projected 
lines  of  rail  running  in  all  directions,  all  having  connec- 
tion by  land  or  water  with  San  Francisco. 

South  of  the  Golden  Gate  are  lines  running  to  San 
Jos6  and  all  sections  along  the  southern  coast  of  the 
State,  eventually  to  reach  San  Diego,  while  lines  tra- 


RAILROADS. 


359 


verse  the  rich  agricultural  valleys  of  the  San  Joaquin 
and  Tulare,  destined  to  reach  the  Colorado  and  •  the 
Southern  Pacific  roads,  sending  their  laterals  in  all  di- 
rections to  the  towns,  valleys,  and  mines  on  either  side; 
while  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  railroad,  having  its  start- 
ing point  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  at  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  follows  the  thirty-fifth  parallel  of  north 
latitude,  passing  through  Missouri,  Indian  Territory, 
New  Mexico,  and  Arizona,  crossing  the  Colorado, 
enters  California,  and,  passing  northwestward  through 
the  soutiiern  half  of  the  State,  reaches  San  Francisco. 
Farther  south  is  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad,  following 
from  Memphis  on  the  Mississippi  a  litde  west  of  the 
thirty-second  parallel  of  north  latitude  westward  through 
Arkansas,  Texas,  and  the  southern  section  of  New 
Mexico  and  Arizon  rossing  the  Colorado  river  close 
to  the  Mexican  line;  Lhence  west  to  the  city  of  San 
Diego  near  the  southern  Hne  uf  the  State  of  California, 
where  it  proceeds  northwestward  until,  like  all  the 
others,  it  finally  reaches  San  Francisco. 

These  two  international  roads,  connt  cting  the  Pacific 
and  the  Atlantic,  are  being  vigorousl)  pushed  to  com- 
pletion ;  and  will,  in  their  course,  develop  and  settle  the 
vast  semi-tropical  regions  of  Southern  Caufornia  and 
the  rich  mineral,  agricultural,  and  gra  ag  region  be- 
tween the  Colorado  and  the  Mississippi  through  Ari- 
zona, New  Mexico,  Texas,  and  the  Indian  Territory, 
affording  direct  and  certain  communication,  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year,  between  the  Pacific  and  Adantic;  and,  finally 
sending  their  branches  into  tropical  Mexico,  will  open 
up  new  and  rich  avenues  of  exploration,  commerce,  and 
settlement,  and  eventually  plant  the  flag  of  republican 
America  over  the  area  of  the  semi-republic  of  Mexico, 


36o 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


North  and  east  of  S'^n  Francisco  are  lines  built  and 
projected  in  all  directions,  leading  through  the  valleys 
of  the  Coast  Range  to  Humboldt  and  other  points  in 
the  northern  extreme  of  the  State ;  while  lines,  connect- 
ing by  boat  at  San  Francisco  with  Oakland,  Vallejo, 
and  San  Rafael,  lead  east  and  north  to  all  the  principal 
interior  towns  and  valleys,  and  extend  finally  to  the 
Oregon  State  line,  where  they  join  lines  of  railroads 
through  the  rich  valley  of  the  Wallamet  and  other  sec- 
tions of  Oregon,  and  finally  northward,  crossing  the 
Columbia  river,  and  still  on,  across  Washington  Tcri- 
tory,  until  they  reach,  by  direct  and  continuous  rail, 
every  portion  of  the  continent  from  Pictou  and  Halilax, 
Nova  Scotia,  Boston,  St.  Louis,  Mexico,  California, 
Oregon,  and  Washington  Territory,  right  up  to  the 
British  line  on  the  Pacific  ocean,  at  the. forty-ninth  de- 
gree of  north  latitude. 

'central  pacific  railroad. 

On  the  8th  day  of  January,  1863,  ground  was  first 
broken  at  the  city  of  Sacramento,  California,  and  labor 
begun  upon  this  national  highway,  which  cuts  the  Sierras 
and  Rocky  mountains,  spans  vast  plains,  deserts,  and 
prairies,  and  unites  th^  Atlantic  and  Pacific  by  continu- 
ous iron  rail.  In  its  connections  it  forms  a  chain  of 
road  across  the  entire  continent,  a  distance  of  three 
thousand  threti  hundred  and  twenty-three  mile;,  from 
San  Francisco  10  New  York  city.  It  is  eight  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  from  San  Francisco  to  Ogden,  at  the 
northern  end  of  Great  Salt  lake,  Utah  Territory,  which 
is  the  eastern  end  of  this  road;  from  this  point  eastward 
to  Omaha,  Nebrar.ka,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Mis- 
souri river,  a  distance  of  one  thousand  and  thirty-three 


CAPE  HORN — CENTRAI,  PACIFIC  RAILROAD,  SIERRA  NEVADA   MOUNTAINS. 
(Can  9,5<M  feet  above  the  American  river,  In  the  chasm  below.) 


RAILROADS. 


361 


miles,  was  built  by  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company. 
At  Omaha  and  Chicago  connections  are  made  with  this 
road  by  various  lines  connecting  with  all  parts  of  the 
West,  east  of  Omaha,  and  all  parts  of  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board, Canada,  and  the  lower  British  provinces. 

The  cars  of  this  line  do  not  run  into  the  city  of  San 
Francisco,  but  have  their  terminus  on  a  long  wharf 
projecting  three  miles  into  the  waters  of  the  Bay  of 
San  Francisco  at  Oakland,  in  Alameda  county,  three 
miles  distant,  directly  east  from  San  Francisco.  Large 
and  elegant  steam  ferry-boats  ply  between  these  points 
every  few  minutes.  At  the  town  of  Vallejo,  twenty- 
eight  miles  northeast  from  San  Francisco,  in  Solano 
county,  on  the  shore  of  the  distant  waters  of  the  bay, 
is  also  another  terminus.  Large  and  elegant  steamers 
run  between  San  Francisco  and  this  point  several  times 
each  day,  carrying  overland  and  way  passengers  and 
mail  to  the  trains  which  run  to  Sacramento  and  on  to 
the  Atlantic  States. 

The  ruftning  time  on  these  roads,  forming  the  great 
overland  line,  is  seven  days  from  San  Francisco  to 
New  York  and  Boston. 

In  the  construction  of  this  road  most  formidable 
obstacles  have  been  overcome:  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
mountains,  long  considered  a  barrier  over  and  beyond 
which  no  road  could  pass,  have  been  pierced  by  im- 
mense tunnels,  their  deep  gulches  spanned  by  bridges, 
and  their  frowning  brows  grooved  for  the  foot  of  the 
iron  horse.  The  dreaded  Rocky  mountains  yielded  to 
science  and  labor,  and  their  precipitous  and  stern  eleva- 
tions were  climbed,  and  their  rugged  peaks  flung  into 
the  torrents  and  gulches  b^low.  The  greatc  ;>t  altitude 
on  this  line  from  San  Franc'sco  to  New  York  is  on  the 


362 


THB.    GOLDEN  STATE. 


summit  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  at  Sherman,  in  Wy- 
oming Territory,  on  the  Union  Pacific  road,  1,365  miles 
east  of  San  Francisco.  This  point  has  an  altitude  of 
8,242  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  highest  point 
on  the  Central  Pacific  road,  from  San  Francisco  to 
Ogden,  is  in  the  Sierras,  two  hundred  and  forty-three 
miles  from  San  Francisco,  at  Summit,  and  a  few  miles 
west  of  the  eastern  State  line  of  California.  At  this 
point  the  altitude  reaches  a  height  of  7,017  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea. 

This  great  rtational  highway  in  its  course  passes  in  a 
northeasterly  direction  from  San  Francisco,  through 
the  States  of  California  and  Nevada  and  a  portion 
of  Utah  Territory,  until  it  reaches  Ogden,  in  Utah 
Territory,  a  little  north  of  Great  Salt  lake.  At  this 
point  the  road  runs  almost  due  east,  passing  through 
the  southern  side  of  Wyoming  Territory  for  its  entire 
length,  and  through  the  entire  length  of  Nebraska,  fol- 
lowing the  course  of  the  Platte  river,  to  Omaha;  thence 
along  the  southern  side  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  and 
through  Illinois,  to  the  city  of  Chicago,  on  the  south- 
western shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  where  it  joins  the 
great  network  of  railroads  spreading  over  the  entire 
country  south,  east,  and  north  of  this  point. 

This  great  continental  highway  was  begun  and  its 
construction  vigorously  prosecuted  during  the  internal 
war  in  America,  from  1861  to  1865;  and  throughout 
all  that  critical  and  eventful  period  received  the  foster- 
ing care  and  stimulus  of  the  national  government,  and 
the  people  on  both  sides  of  the  continent  took  the  deep- 
est interest  in  its  success,  and  the  States  and  Territo- 
ries through  which  it  passes  aided  it  financially  in  a 
most  liberal  manner.    To  the  two  companies  building 


RAILROADS.  363 

the  road — the  Central  Pacific  on'the  California  yicle,  and 
the  Union  Pacific  on  the  eastern  side — the  National 
Congress  donated  by  grant," iny^^  simple,  alternate  sec- 
tions of  land  along  the  line  of  the  roads  of  these  two 
companies  amounting  to  1 2,800  acres  per  mile,  for  each 
mile  built,  from  Sacramento  to  Omaha,  or  an  aggregate 
of  22,707,200  acres.  Of  this  grant  the  Central  Pa- 
cific received  8,832,000  acres,  and  the  Union  Pacific 
1 3»8 75,200  acres. 

The  federal  government  also  loaned  to  these  two 
companies  ^52,840,000  of  six  per  cent,  thirty  years 
bonds,  and  guaranteed  the  interest  on  the  companies' 
first  mortgage  bonds  to  an  equal  amount — the  interest 
paid  by  government  on  these  bonds  to  be  paid  back  by 
the  companies.  These  are  the  most  munificent  dona- 
tions ever  made  by  any  nation  to  any  project  or  for 
any  purpose  in  any  age.  The  two  companies  build- 
ing this  road  built  the  number  of  miles,  and  received 
the  amounts  of  the  national  donation,  as  follows:  Cen- 
tral Pacific  built  six  hundred  and  ninety  miles  and  re- 
ceived $24,386,000;  the  Union  Pacific  (from  Ogden  to 
Omaha)  built  1,084  n^iles  and  received  $28,456,000. 
The  grant  was  distributed  per  mile,  according  to  the 
difficulty  in  constructing:  over  the  plains,  sixteen  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile ;  second  class,  thirty-two  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile;  and  for  the  mountains,  forty- 
eight  thousand  dollars  per  mile.  Of  these  classes  of 
road  the  companies  built  as  follows,  (which  will  account 
for  the  seeming  small  proportion  received  by  the  Union 
Pacific  Company :)  the  Central  Pacific  (California)  built 
twelve  miles  at  sixteen  thousand  dollars  per  mile,  five 
hundred  and  twenty-two  miles  at  thirty-two  thousand 
dollars  per  irile,  and  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  miles  at 


364 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


forty-eight  thousand  dollars  per  mile ;  the  Union  Pacific 
Company  built  five  hundred  and  twenty-six  miles  at 
sixteen  thousand  dollars  per  mile,  four  hundred  and 
eight  miles  at  thirty-two  thousand  dollars  per  mile,  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  at  forty-eight  thousand 
dollars  per  mile. 

For  more  than  half  a  century  the  subject  of  connect- 
ing the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  sides  of  the  continent  by 
rail  had  been  agitated ;  but  the  friends  of  such  a  scheme 
were  ridiculed  by  those  who  contemplated  the  vast  arid 
plains  and  the  stern  Rocky  mountains  and  Sierras,  con- 
sidered insurmountable  barriers.  Indeed,  many  of  those 
who  most  zealously  advocated  the  practicability  of  a 
railroad  crossing  these  formidable  mountain  chains 
were  regarded  as  insane,  and  not  until  the  indomitable 
Californian  had  scaled  the  Sierras,  and  pierced  their 
mighty  granite  ribs,  did  the  people  of  the  country 
become  inspired  with  the  possibility  of  uniting  the 
East  and  the  Pacific  slope  by  rail;  but  the  patient 
sons  of  the  Orient,  under  the  lead  of  American  skill, 
toiling  through  and  over  the  Sierras,  gave  confidence 
to  the  people  of  the  Atlantic  side,  who  set  their  faces 
toward  the  setting  sun,  and  advanced  to  meet  the 
laborers  marching  east. 

The  Central  Pacific  Company  having  completed  the 
road  from  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  to  Promontory,  in 
Utah  Territory,  and  the  Union  Pacific  Company  having 
finished  that  from  Omaha  westward  to  Promontory, 
great  preparations  were  made  for  celebrating  the  join- 
ing of  the  iron  band  connecting  the  East  and  che 
West.  After  six  long  years  of  unremitting  toil,  the 
task  was  ended:  the  army  of  eight  thousand  of  the 
meek  disciples  of  Confucius,  headed  by  skilled  engi- 


of 


CONTINENTAL   RAILROAD. 


30.) 


neers,  had  subdued  nature  in  the  formidable  Sierras; 
bridges  spanned  deep  and  awful  gorges,  and  angry, 
foaming  streams;  long  tunnels  pierced  solid  granite 
domes,  and  deep  scars  found  safe  footing  for  the  iron 
horse  round  the  sharp  curves  of  frowning  granite  bat- 
tlements and  bold,  projecting  bluffs.  The  division  from 
the  East  had  passed  the  vast  deserts  dotted  with  neg- 
lected graves  and  the  bleaching  bones  of  the  over- 
burdened beast  which  fell  by  the  wayside,  and  climbed 
the  stern  sides  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  It  was  a 
meeting  of  the  extremes  of  the  nation — the  joining  of 
the  East  and  the  West.  The  day  came  upon  which  the 
last  tie  and  the  last  rail  were  to  be  put  in  place :  trains 
from  the  East  arrived  from  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic 
gayly  bedecked  with  flags,  mottoes,  and  devices  of 
victory;  and  up  from  the  Golden  Gate,  in  the  Far  West, 
where  the  setting  sun  bathes  in  the  calm  waters  of  the 
Pacific,  came  the  hardy  sons  of  California,  with  their 
callous  hands  and  open  hearts,  to  join  their  brothers  of 
the  East;  from  the  East,  dashing  over  vast  plains,  and 
bounding  over  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  from  the 
West,  over  the  eternal  snows  and  through  the  storm- 
clouds  of  the  Sierras,  came  the  impatient  steed,  whose 
fiery  breath  and  hoarse  shriek  put  to  flight  the  children 
of  the  forest.  In  this  triumphal  train  from  the  West 
came  the  "last  tie" — a  polished  laurel  from  the  golden 
shore  of  California — and  the  "last  spike,"  of  pure  gold 
from  the  rocks  of  the  Sierras.  In  the  midst  of  the  vast 
concourse  from  the  East  and  West,  the  almond-eyed 
son  of  Asia,  facing  East,  and  the  sturdy  Celt  and 
Saxon,  facing  West,  join  hands,  as  with  uncovered  heads, 
beneath  the  ensign  of  the  republic,  and  amidst  the 
firing  of  cannon,  ringing  of  bells,  and  screaming  of 


■I 


IBP 


366 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


whistles,  the  last  tie  was  laid  and  the  last  spike  driven 
in  the  national  highway  joining  the  two  great  oceans. 

Extensive  preparations  had  been  made  to  celebrate 
the  completion  of  this  great  work  throughout  the  whole 
country.  A  telegraph  station  at  the  junction  was  so 
arranged  that  instant  communication  could  be  sent  to 
all  parts  of  the  republic  of  the  final  joining  of  the  rails, 
and  the  firing  of  guns  by  electricity  at  remote  points. 

At  twelve  o'clock  M.,  on  the  loth  of  May,  1869,  the 
President  of  the  Central  Pacific  road,  with  gold  ham- 
mer in  hand,  stepped  forward;  a  blessing  was  invoked 
by  a  clergyman  present,  all  heads  uncovered;  a  g«"nue 
blow  of  the  hammer  fell  upon  the  last  spike :  the  in > 
tlon  of  the  blow  fired  a  fifteen-inch  Parrott  gun  at  the 
Golden  Gate,  eighi  hundred  and  eighty  miles  distant^ 
rang  the  bells  in  the  cities  of  San  Francisco,  Chicago, 
New  York,  Boston,  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and  other 
places ;  and  the  people  throughout  the  land  spent  the 
day  in  rejoicing  at  the  completion  of  the  grandest  work 
of  man  ever  undertaken,  and  the  greatest  triumph  of 
art  over  nature. 

The  completipn  of  this  national  highway  must  even- 
tually be  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  whole  country. 
Already  has  it  brought  what  had  seemed  to  be  remote 
dependencies  of  the  republic  into  close  fellowship  and 
active  commercial  relations  with  the  Atiantic  States, 
and  brought  the  vast  Pacific  slope  within  easy  support- 
ing distance  of  the  nation  in  case  of  foreign  invasion  or 
internal  rebellion. 

San  Francisco  has  suffered  from  the  immediate  effects 
of  the  road  in  its  diverting  the  channels  of  travel  and 
trade ;  but  what  San  Francisco  loses  will  be  more  than 
gained  by  the  State  at  large  in  its  intercourse  with  the 


'^^.imm^ 


OCEAN,  BAY,  AND  RIVER  NAVIGATION. 


\^1 


East,  and  in  the  establishment  of  commercial  affairs 
upon  a  safer  and  more  stable  basis  than  has  yet  been 
known  on  the  lacific  coast. 

The  protracted  snow  blockade  on  the  overland  road 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  months  of  December, 
1871,  and  January  and  February,  1872,  has  demon- 
strated that  but  litde  interruption  need  be  anticipated 
west  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  On  the  entire  line  of 
1,341  miles  from  San  Francisco  to  Laramie,  a  little  west 
of  the  crest  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  no  interruption 
whatever  has  been  experienced;  although  in  the  Sierras 
the  road  is  7,01 7  feet  above  the  sea  and  snoyr  falls  from 
ten  to  forty  feet  in  some  places. 

The  whole  difficulty  with  snow  on  this  road  has  been 
within  a  range  of  two  hundred  miles  of  the  crest  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  extending  about  one  hundred  miles 
on  each  side.  Here  the  altitude  is  from  7,000  to 
8,242  feet,  and  the  fierce  gale  sweeping  over  the  vast 
plains  and  mountains,  bald,  bleak,  and  dreary,  without 
tree  or  shrub  to  interrupt  it,  drives  snow  hardened  in 
its  course  and  mixed  with  sand  and  gravel,  filling  the 
depressions  in  the  road  and  banking  the  plains  time  and 
again,  defying  the  feeble  efforts  of  shovel  and  snow-plow. 


OCEAN,  BAY,  AND  RIVER  NAVIGATION. 

The  inland  waters  of  California  are  all  well  supplied 
with  steamboats  and  sailing  craft.  The  bay  of  San 
Francisco  is  navigated  by  steamboats — models  of  supe- 
rior skill,  elegance,  speed,  and  comfort.  Ferry-boats 
ply  in  all  directions  from  San  Francisco  about  the  bay 
and  rivers,  and  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  are 
navigated  by  swift  and  elegant  boats. 

The  inauguration  of  railroads  in  the  State  has  re- 


363 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


lieved  the  people  from  the  oppressive  monopoly  main- 
tained for  twenty  years  on  the  inland  waters  of  Cali- 
fornia by  the  "  California  Steam  Navigation  Company," 
which,  during  that  period,  had  bought  off  more  than 
one  hundred  steamers^  most  of  which  were  tied  up 
and  allowed  to  rot  along  the  river  banks,  while  rates 
of  passage  and  freight  were  maintained  at  fabulous 
and  ruinous  prices;  while  "opposition"  steamers  were 
bought  off  or  sunk  by  the  soulless  corporation,  which, 
while  it  paid  millions  to  its  stockholders,  imposed 
a  cruel  oppression  upon  the  people,  believed  in  the 
aggregate  to  be  a  fit  subject  for  plunder  and  insult. 
During  a  brief  period  of  "opposition"  on  the  inla;id 
waters,  passage  would  fall  from  ten  dollars  to  one 
dollar,  and  even  at  times  passengers  would  be  carried 
between  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento  and  Stockton 
for  fifty  cents  each,  finally  free,  and  in  some  instances 
they  were  paid  a  dollar  a  head  to  go  on  certain 
steamers,  where  free  meals  and  cigars  were  supplied 
to  all,  and  a  choice  band  of  music  discoursed  to 
happy  crowds  surrounded  with  festivities  and  flying 
flags.  Those  were  seasons  of  joy  for  the  "runner," 
whose  hoarse  voice  and  wild  grimaces  startled  and  be- 
wildered the  unoffending  pedestrian,  who  found  him- 
self and  "baggage"  swooped  up  and  unceremoniously 
hurled  on  board  the  "accommodation"  steamer.  But 
these  seasons  were  brief.  Soon  the  "opposition"  would 
quietly  lie  at  the  river  bank  or  bottom  of  the  bay,  the 
flags  would  be  lowered,  music  hushed,  the  excited 
crowd  and  wild  "runners"  dispersed,  and,  solitary, 
silent,  and  sad,  the  plodding  "miner"  approached  the 
narrow  plank,  at  the  end  of  which  a  savage  hireling 
grabbed  his  last  ten  dollars,  thrusting  him  rudely  by. 


SHIP-BUILDINL 


369 


Scores  of  sailing  vessels  are  also  engaged  in  navi- 
gating the  inland  waters  and  coast  of  California,  Oregon, 
Washington  Territory,  and  all  parts  of  the  waters  north 
and  south  of  San  Francisco,  and  the  islands  ox  the  Pacific 
ocean,  Mexico,.  Central  and  South  America. 

Fleets  of  clipper  ships,  from  all  parts  of  the  commer- 
cial world,  enter  and  depart  through  the  Golden  Gate, 
freighted  with  merchandise  for  California,  and  carrying 
away  wheat,  flour,  copper,  silver  and  other  ores,  hides, 
wool,  wine,  and  other  merchandise. 

Ocean  oteamers  run  regularly  from  San  Fnmcisco 
to  every  harbor  of  interest  in  the  State,  and  lines  of 
swift  and  elegant  steamers  ply  between  the  city  of  San 
Francisco  and  Oregon,  Washington  Territory,  British 
Columbia,  Alaska,  Japan,  China,  Sandwich  islands,  Aus- 
tralia, Mexico,  and  Central  America.  The  steamers  run- 
ning from  San  Francisco  to  China,  Japan,  and  Panama, 
for  elegance,  speed,  and  capacity,  are  unequalled  in  the 
world,  far  surpassing  any  of  the  boats  running  between 
the  Adantic  ports  of  America  and  Europe. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1870,  the  steamship  Idaho  arrived 
at  San  Francisco,  from  Honolulu,  Sandwich  islands,  with 
freight  and  passengers  which  she  received  on  board  at 
the  former  port  from  the  steamship  Wanga-Wanga, 
direct  from  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  being  the  pio- 
neer voyage  of  a  line  of  steam  communication  established 
between  San  Francisco  and  Australia  and  New  Zealand. 


SHIP-BUILDING. 


But  Htde  has  been  done  in  ship-building  in  California. 
Some  river  streams  and  small  sailing  craft  have  been 
constructed  about  thie  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  chiefly  out 
of  timber  taken  from  old  vessels  or  imported  from 


mmmmm 


370 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Oregon,  Washington  Territory,  or  the  Atlantic  States. 
The  higher  rates  of  wages  and  exorbitant  prices  of  all 
material  necessary  in  the  construction  of  vessels  would 
be  sufificient  to  retard  this  branch  of  industry  in  the 
State;  but  the  most  serious  drawback,  and  the  one 
which  must  prohibit  any  success  in  ship -building  in 
California,  is  the  scarcity  of  the  necessary  timber  so 
essei^tial  in  this  branch  of  industry.  California  furnishes 
but  little  timber  fitted  for  ship-building.  The  oak  of  the 
State  is  of  a  coarse-grained,  scrubby  nature,  shaky  and 
liable  to  split  very  mnch  when  exposed  to  the  sun ;  and 
the  knees  and  crooks  so  indispensable  in  every  vessel 
cannot  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  State,  and  must  be 
imported  either  from  the  Atlantic  States  or  from  Oregon, 
where  an  inferior  article  of  fir,  cedar,  and  oak  knees  and 
crooks  can  with  difficulty  be  obtained.  The  only  timber 
in  the  State  usdul  in  ship-building  is  the  fir  of  the  north- 
ern portion  of  the  State,  which  makes  excellent  plank 
for  sides  and  deck. 

The  whole  Pacific  coast  is  destitute  of  beech,  birch, 
maple,  hemlock,  juniper,  and  Canada  spruce,  all  of  which 
supply  the  material  for  ship-buildirvg  in  such  abun- 
dance and  excellent  quality  in  Maine  and  British  North 
America. 

Puget  sound,  in  Washington  Territory,  owing  to  its 
deep  water  and  proximity  to  a  better  supply  and  greater 
variety  of  timber  than  is  to  be  found  on  any  other  part 
of  the  Pacific  coast,  has  the  only  inducements  on  the 
whole  Pacific  to  offer  to  those  interested  in  naval  archi- 
tecture ;  but  the  advance  made  in  the  past  few  years  in 
constructing  iron  ships  in  the  yards  of  Great  Britain, 
for  the  mercantile  service,  must  tend  to  materially 
lessen  the  value  of  wood  for  ship-building. 


TELEGRAPH. 


11^ 


TELEGRAPH. 

Califcmla  is  well  supplied  with  telegraphs.  There 
are  over  three  hundred  stations  in  the  State,  and  com- 
munication can  be  had  not  only  with  every  point  of 
importance  in  California  but  also  in  Oregon,  Nevada, 
Utah,  Washington  Territory,  and  British  Columbia;  and 
by  the  lines  at  San  Francisco,  connecting  with  those 
across  the  continent  and  the  Atlantic  submarine  cable, 
the  Pacific  coast  is  in  direct  communication  with  all 
parts  of  the  American  republic  and  Canada,  and  also 
with  Europe  and  Asia.  Notice  of  events  transpiring  in 
St  Petersburg,  London,  and  Paris  are  transmitted  to 
San  Francisco  and  the  remotest  parts  of  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  the  people  of  San  Francisco  are  often  treated 
to  events  transpiring  in  Asia,  Europe,  and  the  Atlantic 
side  of  America  before  the  hour  at  which  they  actually 
take  place :  this  is  owing  to  the  geographical  position 
of  the  country,  San  Francisco  being  so  far  west.  To 
illustrate :  the  sun  rises  at  London,  England,  eight  hours 
before  it  is  seen  at  San  Francisco ;  so  that,  if  an  event 
transpires  in  England  at  four  o'clock  P.  M.,  it  is  heard 
of  in  San  Francisco  about  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  or  about 
the  hour  merchants  and  others  are  entering  their  offices 
in  the  morning,  or  seven  hours  by  San  Francisco  time 
before  the  event  has  happened ;  and  the  events  of  Lon- 
don transpiring  at  noon  may  be  known  in  San  Fran- 
cisco about  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  before,  and  the 
events  of  five  o'clock  P.  M.  in  London  may  be  read  in 
the  morning  papers  in  San  Francisco  at  breakfast  table, 
six  or  seven  hours  before  the  hour  of  the  day  in  which 
they  have  transpired. 

The  difference  in  time  between  Boston,  Mass.,  and 


372 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


San  Francisco,  is  about  three  hours,  so  that  events 
transpiring  at  Boston,  New  York,  or  any  of  the  Atlantic 
pities,  at  noon,  daily,  are  known  at  San  Francisco  be- 
tween nine  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  same 
day. 

During  t}ie  late  civil  war  in  the  country,  the  citizens 
of  San  Francisco  would  read  at  their  breakfast  tables, 
at  nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  of  terrible  battles  having  been 
fought  in  some  part  of  the  South  at  twelve  o'clock, 
noon,  or  three  hours  before  they  had  taken  place,  accord- 
ing to  the  time  in  California. 

To  further  illustrate  this  subject  will  be  found  a  time- 
table, showing  the  time  of  day  at  various  places  on  the 
globe  when  it  is  twelve  o'clock,  noon,  at  San  Francisco: 


A.  M. 

Astoria,  Oregon 

Calcutta,  India. 

Canton,  China 

Honolulu,  Sandwich  Islands, 

Melbourne,  Australia 

Pekin,  China. 

Sydney,  Australia 

Singapore,  East  Indies.. 

Shanghai,  China 

Tobolsk,  Siberia 

Yeddo,  Japan 

Yrcka,  Cal 

r.  M. 

Acapulco,  Mexico 

Archangel,  Russia 

Aspinwall,  Isthmus 

Berlin,  Prussia 

Boston,  Mass 

Cape  of  Good  Hope 

Charleston,  S.  C 

Chicago,  111 

Cincinnati,  O 

Constantinople 

Detroit,  Mich 

Eastport,  Maine 


K.    M.     B. 

11  55  12 

I  35  56 
3  43  00 
9  39    8 

5  48  00 
3  56  00 

6  14  00 

3  8  00 

4  12  40 

12  43  00 

5  30  CO 
II  59  30 

1  26  28 
10  50  00 

a  so  40 

3  35 
25  48 

9  3a  50 

2  50  40 
19  44 

3*  16 
9  44 

2  38  12 

3  42  00 


9 
3 


2 

2 

10 


p.   K.  M.     K.     S. 

Fort  Yuma,  Cal 12  31  18 

Frankfort,  Germany 8  43  24 

Galveston,  Texas i  50  32 

Geneva,  Switzerland 8  34  42 

Gibraltar,  Spain 7  48  44 

Halifax,  Nova  Scotia 3  55  36 

Havana,  Cuba 2  41  00 

Jerusalem,  Palestine 10  31  24 

Lima,  Peru 3     <  3^ 

London,  England 8    9  31 

Los  Angeles,  Cal 12  16  30 

Louisville,  Ky 2  27    4 

Mexico,  Mexico i  33  44 

Mecca,  Arabia 10  50  00 

Montreal,  Canada 3  15  44 

New  Orleans,  La 2    9  40 

New  York  city 3  14  00 

Nevada,Cal 12    5  15 

Oregon  City,  Oregon 12    o  40 

Panama, Isthmus 2  52  40 

Paris,  P'rance 8  19  24 

Philadelphia,  Pa 3    9  22 

Placerville,  Cal 12    6  18 

Portland,  Me 3  39    8 

Rio  Janeiro,  Brazil 5  '7    8 


POSTAGE  AND  POST-OFFICES. 


373 


p.  M.  H.     M.    a. 

Rome,  Italy 903 

Sacramento,  Cal. 12    3  58 

Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico 12  55  44 

Salt  Lake  City 12  41  40 

St.  Louis,  Mo 294 


r-  H.  H.     M.     8. 

St.  Petersburg 10  11  20 

Stockholm,  Sweden 9  23  20 

Toronto,  Canada 2  52  00 

Vienna,  Austria 9  15  35 

Washington,  D.  C 3    2  00 


:.    s. 
I   18 

.3  24 

|o  32 
4  42 
r8  44 

5  36 
|.i  00 
}i  24 

I  36 

9  3» 
16  30 

27  4 
33  44 
50  00 

15  44 

9  40 

14  00 

5  '5 
o  40 

52  40 

19  24 
9  22 

6  18 
29  8 
17    8 


POSTAGE  AND   POST-OFFICES. 

Previous  to  the  acquisition  of  California,  there  was 
not  a  post-office  in  the  territory.  The  official  docu- 
ments to  and  from  Mexico,  as  well  as  the  correspond- 
ence of  the  missionaries,  were  taken  Uy  special  car- 
riers; and  as  there  were  no  newspapers  published  or 
circulated  in  the  country,  there  was  but  little  need  of 
postal  facilities.  The  few  foreigners  in  the  country 
would  send  or  receive  an  occasional  letter  by  some 
trader  or  whale-ship  touching  on  the  coast. 

So  soon  as  the  United  States  asserted  authority  over 
the  territory,  the  newspaper  press  commenced  opera- 
tions, and  post-offices  were  established  in  the  country; 
but  at  this  early  day,  and  for  many  years  subsequent, 
all  mail  matter  to  the  Pacific  coast  had  to  cross  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  thence  by  steamer  to  San  Fran- 
cisco; from  twenty-four  to  thirty  days  being  occupied  in 
the  voyage  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco.  It  gen- 
erally required  from  sixty  to  ninety  days  from  the  date 
of  writing  a  letter  to  the  receipt  of  an  answer  by  the 
Isthmus  route.  Postage  on  the  half- ounce  in  those 
days  was  ten  cents,  when  the  distance  was  over  three 
hundred  miles.  The  arrival  of  the  semi-monthly 
steamer  at  San  Francisco  was  an  event  celebrated  by 
the  firing  of  guns  and  the  ringing  of  bells,  and  the 
signal  for  a  general  rush  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  post- 
office,  where  long  lines  of  anxious  letter-seekers  would 
take  their  position,  "first  come,  first  served"  being  the 


*■■ 


374 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


rule;  and  woe  betide  the  unfortunate  wretch  whose 
temerity  caused  him  to  attempt  to  break  the  restless, 
anxious>  swaying. line  of  the  gray-shirt  brigade  swinging 
in  long  lines  from  the  post-office  windows,. 

As  these  lengthening  columns  swayed  and  wriggled, 
sometimes  a-half  mile  in  length,  great  anxiety  and  im-  . 
patience  were  often  manifested  by  persons  wishing  to 
get  to  the  all-important  window  of  the   post-office; 
rugged  miners,  who  had  not  perhaps  for  a  year  heard 
a  word  from  Home,  and  anxious  merchants,  whose  fate 
depended  upon  their  letters  and  invoices,  seeing  no 
hope  of  approaching  the  office  for  hours,  would  offer 
sums  to  buy  out  some  fortunate  one  "in  the  line;"  from 
five  to  twenty  dollars  were  average  prices,  but  fifty  and 
one  hundred  dollars  were  often  paid  for  a  good  position 
nigh  the  window.    Prices  would  be  in  proportion  to  the 
length  of  the  line,  or  the  anxiety  of  individuals.    The 
expression  of  countenance  of  some  of  those  paying 
highest  rates,  when  forced  to  leave  the  window  without 
a  letter,  is  beyond  description.    "Selling  out"  in  the 
line  soon  became  a  trade,  and  many  an  impecunious 
individual  pocketed  his  ten  or  twenty  dollars  three  or 
four  times  during  tlie  day  by  selling  out  and  hitching 
on  to  the  line  again. 

Cases,  too,  have  not  been  unfrequent  where  over- 
anxious individuals,  in  search  of  letters,  would  take 
their  position  at  the  post-office  window  one  or  two  days 
before  the  arrival  of  the  expected  steamer,  often  passing 
the  entire  night  standing  watching  the  window,  and  only 
leaving  it  when  forced  to  seek  food  and  drink.  It  often 
befell  these  faithful  sentinels  that,  during  the  brief  ab- 
sence from  their  post,  the  steamer's  gun  would  fire,  and, 
after  a  break-neck  race  of  a  few  minutes,  they  would  be 


POSTAGE  AND  POST-OFFICES. 


375 


forced  to  attach  themselves  to  the  extreme  end  of  a 
line  from  a  quarter  to  half  a  mile  in  length. 

Great  relief  was  experienced  some  years  since  by 
the  establishment  of  the  "Pony  Express,"  which  carried 
letters  from  the  Missouri  river  to  San  Francisco  in 
twelve  to  fifteen  days,  at  twenty-five  cents  the  half 
ounce.  This  express  continued  to  carry  letters  be- 
tween the  roads  building  from  the  East  to  the  West 
until  the  completion  of  the  road  in  1869;  when  the 
rider  of  the  fieet  pony  dismounted,  handed  his  mail- 
bags  to  the  rider  of  the  tireless  iron-horse,  who  rides 
over  the  posting  winds  and  gallops  over  the  storms  of 
the  Sierras. 

Mails  are  now  received  at  San  Francisco  each  day, 
in  seven  days,  from  New  York,  Boston,  and  Philadel- 
phia. There  are  four  hundred  and  fifty  post-offices 
now  in  California. 

UNITED  STATES  BRANCH  MINT. 

In  1854,  a  United  States  Branch  Mint  was  established 
at  San  Francisco.  Previous  to  this  period,  much  incon- 
venience was  experienced  throughout  the  State  for 
want  of  a  circulating  medium.  Gold-dust,  at  sixteen 
dollars  per  ounce,  was  generally  received  and  paid  in 
all  matters  of  business.  Individuals  had  resort  to 
making  coins  of  pure  gold,  which  passed  current  in  the 
country :  of  this  class  were  the  fifty  dollar  pieces  called 
"slugs,",  octagon  in  form  and  made  of  pure  gold,  but 
now  entirely  out  of  use. 

A  magnificent  granite  and  free  stone  building  for  a 
new  mint,  to  cost  two  million  dollars  when  completed, 
is  nigh  finished. 

The  mint  at  San  Francisco  has  been  kept  constantly 


i1^ 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


employed  since  its  establishment  in  1854,  and  has 
issued  an  aggregate  of  $306,074,663.98  in  gold  and 
silver  coin  from  its  opening  until  the  ist  of  January, 
1872.  Of  the  total  mint  coinage,  $298,245,706.81  was 
gold  and  $7,828,957.17  was  silver.  The  coinage  of 
gold  and  silver  for  the  year  1870  was  $20,355,000; 
and  for  1871  it  was  $20,041,775,  of  which  $18,905,000 
was  gold  and  $1,136,775  was  silver. 

Until  within  a  few  years  past,  twenty-five  cents  was 
the  smallest  coin  in  circulation  in  any  part  of  the  Pacific 
coast.  More  recendy,  ten  cent  pieces  have  gone  into 
use ;  and  still  more  recently,  five  cent  pieces,  although 
the  latter  are  scarce,  and  it  may  be  said  that,  throughout 
California  and  the  whole  Pacific  coast,  ten  cents  is  the 
smallest  coin  in  general  circulation. 

Paper  money  has  never  been  used  to  any  extent  in 
California,  and  the  Constitution  of  the  State  prohibits  the 
making,  issuing,  or  putting  in  circulation  any  bill,  check, 
ticket,  certificate,  promissory  note,  or  the  paper  of  any 
bank,  or  the  issuing  of  paper  in  any  form,  as  money; 
hence  all  the  banking  and  business  of  the  country  is 
done  in  gold  and  silver  coin,  the  latter  being  at  a  great 
discount  and  declined  if  offered  in  large  quantities. 
The  securities  and  paper  money  of  the  federal  gov- 
ernment, "greenbacks,"  bonds,  &c.,  are  used  in  many 
instances  in  business,  and  are  bought  and  sold  as  other 
securities. 

Beside  the  gold  and  silver  of  California,  considerable 
amounts  of  bullion  reach  the  mint  at  San  Francisco 
annually  from  all  the  States  and  Territories  west  of  the 
Rocky  mountains— Arizona,  Colorado,  Nevada,  Utah, 
Oregon,  Idaho,  Washington  Territory,  and  British 
Columbia. 


COMMERCE  AND  NAVIGATION. 


377 


The  increasing  demand  for  minting  facilities  on  the 
Pacific  coast  has  induced  the  federal  government, 
within  a  few  years,  to  establish  a  branch  mint,  in  1864, 
at  Denver,  Colorado;  one  at  Carson  City,  Nevada,  in 
1869;  and  one  now  (1872)  in  course  of  erection  at 
Dalles,  on  the  Columbia  river,  Oregon. 


NAVY  YARD. 

At  Mare  island,  twenty-eight  miles  from  San  Fran- 
cisco by  steamer,  and  in  the  direction  of  Sacramento 
from  San  Francisco,  the  federal  government  has  estab- 
lished the  most  extensive  navy  yard  in  the  republic. 
Thirty  acres  of  land,  on  Mare  island,  with  an  extensive 
water-front,  is  owned  by  the  United  States :  upon  this 
are  erected  large  and  substantial  brick  buildings,  for  all 
the  purposes  of  the  yard.  There  is  an  excellent  dry- 
dock  at  these  works,  where  all  the  repairing  of  the 
Pacific  squadron  is  done.  The  works  and  grounds 
here  have  been  projected  upon  a  scale  adequate  to  the 
growing  interests  of  the  Pacific  side  of  the  republic. 

COMMERCE. 

In  preceding  chapters  will  be  found  statements  of 
the  commercial  transactions  of  California  under  Spanish, 
Mexican,  and  early  American  rule.  The  internal  im- 
provements constandy  going  on  in  the  State,  in  build- 
ing railroads,  factories,  and  the  varied  local  industries, 
together  with  the  establishment  of  steam  communi- 
cation to  all  parts  of  the  Pacific  coast,  the  Pacific  islands, 
Asia,  and  Australia,  are  fast  giving  California  a  promi- 
nent commercial  position.  ' 

In  the  early  history  of  the  State,  when  gold  was  the 
only  export,  and  every  article  of  food  and  consumption 


378 


TH£  GOLDEN  STAT&. 


had  to  be  imported,  and  all  the  gold  was  sent  out  of  the 
country,  exports  presented  very  formidable  figures. 

California,  in  1853,  yielded  sixty-five  million  dollars  in 
gold,  and  exported  fifty-seven  million  dollars;  only  two 
million  dollars  of  which  were  merchandise.  California 
now  yields  annually  but  about  twenty-five  million  dollars 
in  gold.  There  were  over  thirty-two  million  dollars  in 
gold  shipped  from  San  Francisco  in  1870;  but  a  great 
portion  of  this  found  its  way  from  the  adjoining  Pacific 
States  and  Territories  to  California,  which  latter  State 
cannot  be  credited  with  more  than  sixteen  million  dol- 
lars export  of  gold  of  her  own  production,  although  her 
product  was  twenty-five  million  dollars. 

The  following  table  exhibits  the  annual  exports  of 
merchandise  and  treasure,  from  the  port  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, from  1848  to  and  including  the  year  1871 : 


1848-56, 
J851,  . 

1852,  , 

1853.  . 
1854, 

i855»  ■ 
1856, 

1857, 
1858, 

i859> 
i860, 

x86i, 

1862, 

1863, 

1864, 

1865, 

1866, 

1867, 

1868, 


macMANDin. 

1^2,000,000 
1,030,000 
1,500,000 
2,000,000 
2,500,000 
4,189,611 
4,270,516 

4,369*758 
4,770,163 

5,533,41 1 

8,532,439 
9,888,072 

10,565,294 

13,877,399 

13,271,752 

14,554,130 
17,281,848 

22,421,298 

22,844,235 


TRKASUM. 
166,000,000 
45.989,000 

45,779>ooo 
54,965,000 
52,045,633 
45,161,731 

50,697.434 
48,976,692 
47,548,026 
47,640,462 
42,325,916 
40,676,758 
42,561,761 
46,071,920 
So,7o7;2oi 
44,426,172 
44,365,668 
40,671,797 
36,358,096 


TOTAL. 

1^68,000,000 
46,989,000 

47,279,000 
56,965,000 

54,545,633 
49,351,342 
54.967,950 
53,346,450 
52,318,189 

53,173,87s 
50,858,35s 

50,564,830 

53,127,05s 

59,949,319 
68,978,953 

58,980,302 

61,647,516 

63,093,095 
59,202,331 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE, 


379 


1869,  . 

1870,  . 

1871,  . 


imtaiAMBiaB. 
80,846,349 
171769*743 
i3»99a»a83 


37,287,114 

33.983. 139 
i7.353.346 


58,133.463 
50,752,881 

31,245,629 


Totals,    $307,978,300    $985,491,866    $1,193,470,166 

The  exports  overland,  since  1870,  not  being  included 
here,  makes  the  amounts  appear  small.  It  will  be  seen 
by  the  foregoing  how  steadily  the  export  of  gold  has 
decreased,  and  how  steadily  the  export  of  merchandise 
has  iftcreased.  It  may  still  seem  strange  to  the  reader 
that  the  aggregate  exports  of  California  have  decreased 
since  1853.  In  that  yean  the  aggregate  export  of  the 
State  was  $56,965,000,  against  ^^50, 7 5 2,881  in  1870— 
a  decrease  of  $6,212,191  per  annum  in  sixteen  years; 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  gold  product  of  the 
State  is  forty  million  dollars  less  per  annum  now  than 
it  was  sixteen  years  ago ;  and  that  the  mechanical  and 
agricultural  industries  of  the  country  have  to  make  up 
this  deficit.  Besides,  the  growth  in  and  development  of 
wealth  represented  in  farms,  orchards,  vineyards,  cities, 
schools,  and  the  aggregate  of  real  and  personal  property 
in  the  State  had  no  existence  in  1853,  as  compared  with 
the  present  wealth  of  the  State  already  alluded  to.  Nor 
is  the  v/ealth  of  California,  as  it  is  to-day,  so  easily  pro- 
duced as  in  tlie  times  when  the gold-fieldsyielded  their 
first  and  richest  harvest  The  exports  of  the  early 
period  when  almost  every  thing  produced  in  the  State 
was  shipped  out  of  it,  and  when  there  were  no  local 
industries  in  the  country,  if  compared  with  the  exports 
of  the  present  time,  will  not  convey  a  correct  idea  of 
the  wealth  or  prosperity  of  California. 

If  the  agricultural  and  meciianical  productions  of 
California  be  compared  with  the  yield  of  gold  in  the 


mmmmmmm 


380 


TI/£   GOLDEN  STATE. 


palmiesic  days  of  the  State,  it  will  be  found  that  these 
branches  c»f  industry  are  fast  gaining  on  the  richest 
yields  of  the  State,  and  completely  eclipsing  the  gold 
product  of  to-day. 

The  agricultural  productions  of  California  are  esti- 
mated at  thirty  million  dollars  for  the.  year  1872,  and 
the  value  of  manufactured  articles  in  the  State  for  the 
same  period  at  thirty-one  million  dollars,  making  an 
aggregate  of  sixty-one  million  dollars  per  annum — a 
larger  sum  than  has  been  produced  from  the  mines  of 
California  in  any  one  year  since  the  discovery  of  gold, 
except  the  year  1853,  and  thirty-six  million  dollars 
greater  than  the  gold  product  of  the  State  at  the  present 
period.  Adding  the  agricultural,  mechanical,  and  go!  ^ 
products  of  1872,  we  have  an  aggregate  of  eighty-one 
million  dollars,  or  twenty-one  million  dollars  more  than 
the  annual  yield  of  gold  in  any  year  since  1848.  If  we 
add  to  these  productions  the  real  estate  and  personal 
property  of  California,  valued  at  three  hundred  million 
dollars,  some  idea  of  the  increasing  wealth  of  the  State 
may  be  had. 

The  tonnage  entry  of  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  for 
the  year  1871,  was  3,519  vessels  of  all  classes,  including 
the  coasting  fleets,  and  aggregating  one  million  tons. 
Of  the  one  iiundred  million  pounds  of  tea  finding  its 
way  from  China  and  Japan  into  the  United  States  aii- 
mially,  twenty-two  million  pounds  enter  the  port  ot 
San  Francisco,  and  is  transported  East  by  rail. 

The  completion  of  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  railroad 
in  1869  has  wrought  great  changes  in  the  commercial 
affairs  o^  California,  in  placing  the  merchants  of  the 
State  in  constant  and  speedy  communication  with  the 
great  manufacturing  centres  of  the  Atlantic  States  and 


TRADE  AND  COMMERCE. 


381 


Europe;  relieving  importers,  to  a  degree,  of  the  tedious 
and  uncertain  voyages  by  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 
Cape  Horn,  and  placing  the  public  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  monopolist,  whose  fortune  depends  upon  the  dangers 
of  the  seas  and  the  winds  that  baffle  the  mariner. 

Another  change  wrought  in  the  commercial  affairs 
of  the  State  is  diversion  of  trade  from  San  Francisco. 
Previous  to  the  completion  of  the  railroad,  San  Fran- 
cisco was  the  only  outlet  in  the  State.  Every  person 
leaving  the  coast,  either  for  Europe  or  the  Atlantic 
States,  was  obliged  to  come  first  to  San  Francisco;  so 
all  the  merchandise,  intended  for  the  State,  had  also  to 
enter  San  Francisco.  Now  persons  in  the  interior  take 
the  cars  at  their  homes  along  the  road;  so  the  interior 
merchants,  from  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  to  Utah, 
order  their  goods  overland,  having  them  dropped  at 
the  stations  along  the  road,  much  to  the  detriment  of 
San  Francisco,  which,  owing  to  the  causes  here  men- 
tioned, has  great  cause,  at  least  for  the  present,  to  re- 
gret the  completion  of  a  road,  which,  while  it  redounds 
vastly  to  the  benefit  of  the  State,  has  temporarily  pros- 
trated the  business  of  the  merchants  of  San  Francisco. 

Among  the  articles  of  export  of  the  State,  in  1871, 
were  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  gallons  of  wine 
and  eighty  thousand  gallons  of  brandy,  a  great  portion 
of  which  went  East  to  all  parts  of  the  Atlantic  States 
by  rail. 


I 


382 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


Education — ^Free  schools — Schools  in  San  Francisco— Cost  of  School 
Department — Chinese  schools — ^Indian  slaves — National  education 
— Agricultural  colleges — State  university — ^Agricultural  societies — 
Reform,  deaf,  dumb,  and  blind  schools— Newspapers — Books — 
Libraries — ^I^iterature — Protective  and  benevolent  societies^— Re- 
ligion— Prisons  and  crimes — -Asylums — Governors  of  California- 
Laws — Lawyers — Doctors — Divines. 

The  American  pioneers  of  California,  althc  ir't  far 
from  the  seat  of  civilization,  had  not  forgotten  the  early 
precepts  of  their  ancestors,  that  the  foundations  of 
American  freedom  were  laid  upon  the  universal  intelli- 
gence of  the  people;  so  that,  in  the  moulding  of  the 
new  State  from  the  crude  fragments  of  a  Spanish  semi- 
civilization  into  well-ordered  and  active  progress,  and 
building  up  the  pillars  of  the  new  nation  on  the  Pacific, 
the  spirit  and  genius  of  ripest  progress  are  visible,  and 
most  effectually  woven  into  the  fabric  of  the  organic 
law  of  the  State. 

The  free  school  system,  established  by  law  in  185 1, 
has  extended  to  every  county,  village,  and  town  in  Cali- 
fornia; and  the  neat  school-house  in  the  remote  interior, 
on  every  hillside  and  valley,  with  efficient  teachers, 
trained  in  the  Normal  school  of  the  State,  affords  ample 
fariliti(:s  to  every  child,  regardless  of  race,  color,  or 
Itirthplace,  to  obtaip  a  free  education.  In  all  the  de- 
partments of  public  education,  California  is  second  to 
no  State  In  the  tJnJOfi  At  the  heads  of  the  educa- 
tional departments,  geMf*rally,  af  found  men  of  char- 
acter and  cultun-.  hiuI  ll/t;  1  I  / -.  as  a  class,  are 
equally  competent  as  \\\ti  (♦'  Mhers  in  any  of  the  At- 


JV4 


^^f 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL  HOUSE,  SAN   JTvANCISCO,  1 873. 
(A.  ^immodation,  1150  Boy*.    Ccjtt  $100,000.) 


MRbT    S(  llfKil     HOCSK    IN    SAN    fRANCISCO 
(On  Portsmouth  Square,  1847.) 


I     , 


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SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS. 


383 


lantic  States;  and  the  school  buildings  generally  are 
large,  elegant,  and  comfortable,  and,  in  San  Francisco, 
are  not  surpassed  in  capacity  and  appointments  in  any 
city  in  the  Union. 

In  the  public  institutions  of  the  State  not  only  are 
the  ordinary  branches  of  an  English  education  taught, 
but  in  the  cities  cosmopolitan  schools  are  maintained, 
where  foreign  languages  form  a  part  of  the  instruction. 

Besides  the  other  educational  institutions  maintained 
by  the  State  is  a  university,  established  at  Oakland, 
where  a  full  college  course  is  afforded  free  to  all  who 
choose  to  enter.  There  is  also  a  'aw  and  medical 
school  attached  to  this  institution.  A  State  Normal 
school,  with  all  the  modern  improvements,  and  of  most 
spacious  and  elegant  dimensions,  recendy  built  at  the 
beautiful  city  of  San  Jose,  fifty  miles  south  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, educates  and  grradiiates,  as  professional  teachers, 
those  of  both  sexes  who  enroll  themselves  for  that 
profession.  There  is  also  a  reform  school  at  San 
Francisco;  and  an  educational  institution  for  deaf,  dumb, 
and  blind  (the  only  one  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains) 
a  short  distance  from  Oakland. 

San  Francisco,  tlie  great  metropolis  of  the  I^cific 
coast  with  its  149,473  inhabitants,  (1870,)  has  >'come 
famous  far  its  public  school  institutions ;  and  at  the 
present  period  presents  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
progressive  jrenius  of  the  cosmopolitan  population  of 
that  youthful  but  expanding  cxXy. 

Prior  to  the  occupation  of  California  by  the  Ameri- 
cans, not  a  school  existed  in  the  whole  country,  except 
those  maintained  by  the  Jesuits  for  the  conversion  of 
the  Indians;  but  no  sooner  Iiad  the  stars  and  stripes 
floated  over  the  land  than  inscitutions  of  free  educaaon 


384* 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  free  worship  clustered  around  the  dwellings  of  the 
pioneer. 

The  first  American  school  established  in  San  Fran- 
cisco was  a  private  one,  opened  in  April,  1847,  ^Y  Mr. 
Marsten,  who  is  entiried  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first 
"Yankee  school-master"  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The 
school  was  opened  in  a  little  shanty,  to  twenty  or  thirty 
pupils.  In  the  fall  of  1847,  ^^  citizens  of  San  Fran- 
cisco organized  a  public  school  and  erected  a  small 
one-story  school-house. 

This  humble  building  subsequentiy  served  for  a 
church  for  the  first  preaching  of  the  Protestant  religion 
in  California,  the  first  theatre,  court-house,  station- 
house,  &c. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1848,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Douglas 
opened  a  private  school ;  organized,  however,  as  a  pub- 
lic school.  The  summer  of  1848  found  Douglas'  school 
closed,  and  all  the  pupils  large  enough  to  travel, 
parents,  and  teacher  on  the  march  to  the  gold-fields 
of  the  rivers  and  gulches  of  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras. 
On  the  23d  of  April,  1849,  the  Rev.  Albert  Williams 
opened  a  select  school,  which  he  taught  for  a  few 
months  only ;  and,  in  October  following,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  C.  Pelton  opened  a  private  school,  which,  in  April, 
1850,  was  made  a  public  school,  and  Mr.  Pelton  and 
his  wife  were  employed  by  the  common  council  of  the 
city,  at  a  monthly  salary  of  five  hundred  dollars.  From 
this  period  forward  to  the  present  time,  San  Francisco 
has  gone  steadily  onward  in  her  public  schools,  until 
her  beautiful  school  edifices  adorn  every  hill-side  and 
look  out  upon  the  placid  waters  of  the  Pacific  Ox.ean 
from  every  quarter. 

On  the  30th  of  June,  1870,  there  were  45,617  chil- 


SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS. 


385 


:hil- 


dren  ;n  San  Francisco  under  fifteen  years  of  age;  of 
whom  27,055  were  between  the  ages  of  five  and  fifteen 
years.  To  accommodate  these  there  .were  fifty-eight 
public  schools;  three  hundred  and  sixty-nine  teachers — 
three  hundred  snd  twelve  females  and  fifty-four  males. 
The  amount  expended  in  the  city  for  public  school  pur- 
poses during  the  year  ending  June  30,  1870,  was 
$522,5cx>  in  gold;  and  the  total  expenditure  for  this 
purpose  in  the  city  for  the  eighteen  years  of  the  exist- 
ence of  free  schools  in  San  Francisco,  to  the  beginning 
of  1 87 1,  \i2i%four  and  a-quaritr  million  dollars. 

Many  of  the  school  buildings  in  San  Francisco  sur- 
pass in  elegance  and  capaciousness  the  schools  of  any 
Atlantic  city.  There  are  seven  hundred  and  twenty 
pupils  taught  in  a  school  building  on  Silver  street,  the 
Rincon  school  (girls'  grammar)  has  six  hundred  young 
lady  pupils ;  Lincoln  school,  named  after  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, is  exclusively  a  boys'  school,  and  numbers  1,150 
pupils ;  the  Denman  school  (girls'  grammar)  has  seven 
hundred  young  ladies ;  and  other  schooJ  buiJdiugs  of 
great  capacity  are  in  contemplation  and  are  being  con- 
stantly erected. 

Colored  or  negro  children  have  a  separate  school,  at 
which  one  hundred  and  forty-five  children  are  taught. 

San  Francisco  maintains  one  school  for  the  Chinese: 

this  is  the  only  free  school  maintained  on  the  continent 

for  the  education  of  this  race.   The  number  of  Mongolian 

children  in  the  city  under  fifteen  years  of  age  in  (1870) 

1,148,  and  the  number  of  persons  attending  the  Chinese 

school  (many  of  whom  are  grown  men)  is  two  hundred 

and  two.     A  library  of  8,510  volumes,  and  valued  at 

J5 1 0,469 — the  property  of  the  public  schools  of  San 
25 


3S6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Francisco — is  in  the  rooms  of  the  Board  of  Education 
of  the  city. 

To  convey  a  further  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  public 
instruction  is  carried  on  in  San  Francisco,  and  the  vast 
sums  so  willingly  spent  in  the  cause  of  education,  a 
comparison  between  the  value  of  public  school  property 
in  the  progressive  city  of  Chicago  and  San  Francisco 
may  serve  to  illustr^ite.  At  the  end  of  1 870,  the  popula- 
tion of  Chicago  was  299,370,  and  that  of  San  Francisco, 
^  49473'  At  this  period  the  total  valuation  of  the  public 
school  property  of  Chicago  was  $1,873,375  J  while  San 
Francisco,  with  a  population  of  only  about  half  that  of 
the  former  city,  possessed  in  its  public  school  depart- 
ment property  to  the  value  of  1(^1,729,800— double  as 
much'  in  proportion  to  its  population  as  the  school  prop- 
erty of  Chicago. 

The  report  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public 
Instruction  to  1870  shows  that  there  were  1,144  school 
districts  in  the  State,  with  1,268  schools,  in  which  there 
were  employed  1,687  teachers— 970  males  and  730 
females.  The  number  of  pupils  enrolled  was  73,744, 
and  the  average  attendance  of  pupils,  56,715. 

The  whole  number  of  children  in  the  State  at  that 
period,  between  five  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  was 
112,743,  of  whom  57,374  were  boys  and  55,369  were 
girls.  Of  this  number  1 10,642  were  white— 56,264  boys 
and  54,378  girls;  and  838  negroes — 432  boys  and  406 
girls.  There  were  also  of  this  number  1,263  Indian 
children — 678  boys  and  585  girls — living  under  the 
guardianship  of  white  persons.  There  were  also  at 
this  period  57,983  children  in  the  State  under  five  years 
of  age — 57,410  whites,  278  negro,  and  295  domestic 


EDUCATION  AND  SCHOOLS,  387 

Indians;  making  a  total  of  1 70,726  children  of  all  classes 
under  fifteen  years  of  age  in  the  State  in  1870. 

Of  the  112,743  children  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
fifteen  years  but  67,834  had  attended  the  public  schools 
at  any  time  during  the  year;  of  whom  67,307  were 
whites,  406  colored,  and  121  Indians.  There  were  at 
the  same  time  attending  private  schools  16,273  children 
between  five  and  fifteen  years  of  age — 16,159  whites, 
sixty-nine  colored,  and  forty-five  Indians — making  a  total 
of  84,107  children  of  all  classes  between  five  and  fifteen 
years  of  age  attendant  at  school,  and  leaving  28,636 
of  these  ages  who  never-  enter  a  school. 

It  will  be  seen  that  of  the  838  colored  children  in  the 
State  but  475,  or  a  little  over  one-half,  were  attending 
school;  while  of  the  1,263  Indian  children  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  fifteen  years,  said  to  be  under  the 
guardianship  of  whites,  but  1 66  ever  entered  a  school, 
leaving  1,097  without  instruction.  The  fact  is,  that  the 
greater  part  of  these  Indian  children  were  bought  from 
some  of  the  tribes  in  the  State  and  throughout  portions 
of  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory,  or  kidnapped  by 
some  of  the  traders  on  the  coast;  and  are  held  as  slaves, 
without  knowledge  of  parents,  relatives,  or  kin. 

The  number  of  Mongolian  (Chinese)  children  in  the 
State  at  this  time,  under  fifteen  years  of  age,  was  1,470. 
There  were  seventy-nine  deaf  and  dumb  children  be- 
tween the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  years,  and  thir- 
teen blind  of  the  same  age.  The  total  valuation  of  'he 
school  property  of  the  State  was  ^^2,796,705. 12,  and  the 
State  expenditure  foi*  the  school  year  of  1869  amounted 
to  $1,290,585.52  in  gold. 

Sunday-schools,  under  the  direction  of  zealous  and 
competent  teachers,  are   maintained   throughout   the 


388 


TIfE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


whole  Pacific  coast;  there  being  over  two  hundred 
Sunday-schools,  with  more  than  twenty-five  thousand 
scholars,  and  four  thousand  officers  and  teachers,  in 
California.  There  are  in  the  State  ten  Sunday-schools 
for  Chinese,  having  363  teachers  and  1,640  scholars,  and 
an  average  attendance  of  552.  Most  of  these  Chinese 
schools  are  in  San  Francisco,  and  are  maintained  by  the 
different  church  organizations.  The  efforts  of  the  teach* 
ers  are  chiefly  directed  toward  teaching  the  English  lan- 
guage. All  the  scholars  in  these  schools  are  exclusively 
males,  and  many  of  them  men  of  middle  age.  No 
female  child  or  Chinese  woman  enters  any  school  in 
C^ifornia;  and  ho  Chinese  women,  with  but  few  excep- 
tions, engage  in  ^ny  occupation  or  employment  save 
the  plying  of  their  vile  and  nameless  profession. 


NATIONAL  EDUCATION  — THE   ESTABLISHMENT  OF  AGRICUL. 
TURAL  COLLEGES  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

In  the  year  1862,  Congress  passed  an  act  entided 
*'An  act  donating  public  lands  to  the  several  States 
and  Territories  which  may  provide  colleges  .for  the 
benefit  of  agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,"  which 
was  approved,  July  2,  1862,  by  President  Lincoln;  and 
which  granted  to  each  State,  for  such  purpose,  thirty 
thousand  acres  of  land  for  each  Senator  and  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  according  to  the  apportionment 
under  the  census  of  i860,  amounting  in  die  aggregate 
to  9,510,500  acres.  Besides  these  donations,  Congress 
has,  by  donating  the  sixteenth  and  thirty-second  sections 
in  the  States  for  school  purposes,  granted  69,066,808 
acres  direcdy,  and  for  internal  improvement  (generally 
given  to  the  educational  fund)  granted  an  additional 
13.669,671  acres:  thus  making  a  total  of  92,246,979 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 


389 


acres  (up  to  1871)  of  the  public  domain  donated  to  the 
cause  of  education  in  the  Union.  The  act  provides 
that  all  moneys  realized  by  the  sale  of  these  lands 
(agricultural  college)  shall  be  invested  in  stocks  of  the 
United  States,  or  of  the  States,  and  that  only  the  in- 
terest thereof  shall  be  expended  for  the  purposes 
named.  The  Legislature  of  each  State  which  accepts 
this  bequest  must  establish  one  college  of  agriculture 
and  the  mechanic  arts,  erect  suitable  buildings,  choose 
a  faculty  of  professors,  and  prescribe  such  a  course  of 
study  as  will  have  a  tendency  "to  promote  the  liberal 
education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pur- 
suits ^nd  professions  of  life,"  by  making  the  leading 
feature  and  objects  of  such  instruction  to  be  "to  teach 
such  branches  of  learning  as  are  Velated  to  agriculture 
and  the  mechanic  arts,"  including  "military  tactics,"  and 
not  excluding  "other  scientific  and  classical  studies." 
The  design  of  Congress  appears  to  have  been  to  estab- 
lish a  national  American  system  of  education  for  the 
benefit  of  the  whole  people. 

The  Legislatures  of  twenty-three  States  have  re- 
sponded to  this  magnificent  donation  of  Congress,  and 
have  either  established  or  commenced  agricultural  col- 
leges. The  following  States  have  organized  indepen- 
dent institutions :  Michigan,  Pennsylvania,  Iowa,  Illinois, 
Massachusetts,  and  Maine.  The  following  States  have 
iricorporated  their  agricultural  colleges  with  other  semi- 
naries or  universities:  Connecticut,  Kentucky,  New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Vermont,  Kansas,  Maryland,  Cali- 
fornia, Delaware,  Minnesota,  New  Hampshire,  Rhode 
Island,  Vermont,  West  Virginia,  and  Wisconsin.  The 
States  of  Ohio  and  Indiana  have  accepted  the  donation ; 
but,  as  yet,  have  only  commenced.    The  first  six  States 


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390 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


have  farnts  of  from  four  hundred  to  one  thousand  acres 
attached  to  their  agricultural  colleges. 

On  the  23d  of  Mafch,  1868,  an  act  of  the  Legislature 
of  California  Organized  a  State  university,  and  accepted 
the  munificent  donation  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  granted  by  the  National  Congress 
for  the  establishing  and  maintaining  of  a  college  of 
agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts,  &c. 

The  university  was  opened  on  the  23d  of  September, 
1868,  and  about  fifty  students  had  entered  up  to  the 
beginning  of  1870. 

This  institution  has  its  location  at  Berkeley,  about 
four  miles  nortli  of  Oakland,  in  Alameda  county,  and 
directly  facing  the  Golden  Gate.  The  buildings  are 
constructed  upon  the' most  improved  modern  principle, 
and  are  located  in  a  park  of  two  hundred  acres,  beau- 
tifully situated  and  ornamented  with  shade  and  other 
trees. 

In  point  of  equipment  the  University  of  California  is 
superior  to  any  in  the  Union,  as  its -apparatus  was 
selected  from  the  most  apiproved  modern  styles  in 
England,  France,  Germany,  and  America,  and  many 
valuable  appliances  of  modern  invention  introduced 
which  will  materially  aid  in  developing  and  illustrating 
branches  of  science  heretofore  not  supposed  to  be  sus- 
ceptible of  illustration  by  artificial  means.  * 

Law,  medical,  and  agricultural  depar^^ments  are  con- 
nected with  the  university;   and  these,  with  all   the^ 
departments  of  the  institution,  are  open  to  both  sexes 
alike  who  can  pass  the  necessary  examination  in  scholar- 
ship and  character. 

The  practical  workings  and  beneficial  effects  of  the 
study  of  the  science  of  agriculture,  as  comprehended  in 


an 
dom 


AGRICULTURAL   COLLEGES. 


391 


the  act  of  Congress  establishing  and  fostering  agricul- 
tural colleges,  cannot  be  doubted,  when  we  reflect  that 
in  no  branch  of  industry  is  there  such  widespread  igno- 
rance as  in  the  noble  pursuit  of  agriculture — no  branch 
of  industry  wherein  thrift,  education,  and  systematized 
labor  combined  with  the  application  of  science  so  readily 
reward  the  laborer;  and  California,  whose  generous 
soil  and  genial  climate  place  her  in  the  front  rank  of 
the  most  favored  sections  of  the  globe,  would  seem  the 
most  fitting  place  to  bring  to  unequalled  perfection  the 
productions  of  the  soil  and  the  science  and- practice  of 
agriculture. 

It  is  tnily  encouraging  to  see  at  last  r>o  deep  an 
interest  manifested  in  this  sadly  neglectf.d  and  noble 
industry  as  exhibits  itself  in  the  generous  aid  afforded 
it  by  the  national  and  State  governments.  Many  of  the 
States  in  the  Union  have  taken  steps  to  instruct  their 
young  men  in  the  science  and  practice  of  agriculture, 
many  of  them  having  State  agricultural  colleges,  with 
farms  attached. 

The  earliest  effort  to  establish  an  agricultural  school 
was  made  in  1775,  by  the  Abbe  Rosier,  who  proposed 
to  the  French  minister,  Turgot,  to  place  at  his  disposal 
the  park  of  Chambord.  But  to  the  enthusiastic  efforts 
of  Emanuel  Fellenberg,  who,  in  1 799,  established  upon 
his  estate  of  Hofwyl  near  Berne,  in  Switzerland,  an  agri- 
cultural school,  is  the  world  indebted  for  its  advanced 
state  of  agricultural  information  founded  upon  combined 
science  and  labor. 

In  the  year  1 799,  th"  Prince  Schwarzenberg  founded 
an  agricultural  school  at  Krumau,  in  Bohemia,  on  a 
domain  of  three  hundred  thousand  acres,  which  is  still 
in  successful  operation.     The  collections  at  this  famous 


392 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


school  comprise  models  of  agricultural  implements, 
philosophical  and  chemical  apparatus,  insects,  fruits, 
the  cultivated  plants  of  the  country,  minerals,  and  a 
herbarium.  Beside  these,  there  are  a  botanical  garden, 
conservatory,  and  an  astronomical  observatory'.  The 
instruction  is  gratuitous. 

In  many  parts  of  Europe  there  are  agricultural  schools 
in  which  instructions  are  given  in  botany,  zoology, 
mineralogy,  geology,  mathematics,  chemistry,  physics, 
mechanics,  agriculture,  sylviculture,  and  the  working  of 
mines ;  and.  wherein  the  students  are  brought  into  actual 
contact  with  every  department  of  practical  labor  con- 
nected with  farm -work.  They  plough,  harrow,  dig, 
cultivate,  plant,  sow,  hoe,  thresh,  gi'aft,  prune,  take  care 
of  teams  and  stock  generally,  lay  out  and  superintend 
work,  erect  farm-buildings,  keep  accounts,  and  perform 
every  duty  of  a  practical  farmer.  Students  occupy  a 
term  of  from  three  to  five  years,  and  after  a  rigid  ex- 
amination are,  if  qualified,  graduated. 

It  is  in  such  institutions  as  these,  in  our  own  country, 
that  the  parents  of  California  should  place  their  sons, 
instead  of  crowding  them  into  law,  medical,  and  theo- 
logical schools,  offices  and  stores,  or  permitting  them  to 
join  the  great  and  ever  increasing  army  of  shiftless 
idlers  growing  up  in  the  land,  who  seek  a  precarious 
subsistence  by  clinging  to  the  skirts  of  some  over- 
crowded profession,- ve. id  small  wares,  or  live  in  absolute 
idleness  and  vice,  while  millions  of  acres  of  generous 
soil  only  await  the  touch  of  industry  to  bounteously 
reward  its  possessor. 

Scientific  agriculture  is  but  in  its  infancy  in  the  United 
States.  In  portions  of  New  England  and  the  Middle 
States,  where  population  begins  to  cut  up  the  land  into 


some 
provec 


■^  I 


SCIENTIFIC  AGRICULTURE. 


393 


small  farms,  and  the  proximity  of  markets  renders  the 
productions  of  the  soil  of  great  value,  considerable  atten- 
tion is  being  paid  to  manuring  the  land  and  rotation  of 
crops ;  but  throughput  the  West,  and  particularly  wesl 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,.as  a  rule,  the  greatest  igno- 
rance and  recklessness  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil 
exists,  many  farmers  entirely  ignoring  the  idea  that  any 
thing  will  grow  upon  their  farms  except  wheat,  others 
grow  only  barley,  and  others  again  only  corn  or  pota- 
toes. The  wheat  farmer  buys  the  barley  and  oats  upon 
which  he  feeds  his  horses  and  the  vegetables  upon  his 
table ;  while  the  barley  farmer  buys  his  flour  and  vege- 
tables. The  stock- raiser,  who  counts  his  horned  cattle 
by  the  thousands,  buys  his  butter,  cheese,  and  bacon; 
while  the  hog  farmer  buys  every  thing,  even  bacon  dnd 
lard,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  hundreds  of  men 
throughout  the  West  drive  their  hogs  to  market,  sell 
them  on  the  foot  at  three  and  four  cents  per  pound, 
and  carry  home  ham  at  twenty  to  thirty  cents  a  pound. 

Year  after  year  the  land  is  sown  in  the  same  seed, 
without  manure  or  a  season's  rest,  until  finally  the  soil 
exhibits  signs  of  exhaustion,  and  eventually  refuses  to 
produce  at  all,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  "farmer," 
who  must  seek  "better  land." 

Within  some  years  past,  agricultural  societies  formed 
in  most  of  the  States  have  aided  much  in  disseminat- 
ing practical  facts  to  farmers.  But  systematized  and 
scientific  agricultural  education  has  been  slow  in  its 
progress. 

The  scientific  schools  attached  to  Yale,  Harvard,  and 
Dartmouth  colleges  each  provide  for  instruction  in 
some  of  the  branches  of  agricultural  science,  and  have 
proved  of  great  advantage  to  those  availing  themselves 


394 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  their  benefits ;  but  the  want  of  experimental  farms 
has  been  much  felt  at  these  institutions. 

As  early  as  1837,  the  subject  of  establishing  agricul- 
tural schools  was  agitated  in  the  States  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York;  but,  up  to  1853,  no  practical  form  had 
been  given  to  the  subject.  In  this  year,  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  projected  her  present  flourishing  agricul- 
tural college.  The  State  of  Michigan,  in  1855,  estab- 
lished an  agricultural  college,  apprqpriated  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  purchased  a  tract  of  seven  thousand 
acres  of  land  for  this  purpose.  In  1857,  a  further  sum 
of  forty  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  by  the 
Legislature,  and  in  May,  1857,  the  first-class  was  ad- 
mitted. 

Throughout  the  United  States  Agricultural  societies 
and  colleges  are  fast  increasing,  and  their  beneficial 
effects  extending  to  every  State  and  Territory  in  the 
Union.  In  1862,  the  National  Congress  established  a 
distinct  department  of  agriculture,  with  a  commissioner 
at  its  head,  for  the  distribution  of  seeds,  roots,  &c.,  and 
general  information  free  to  the  people. 

West  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  besides  the  stimulus 
given  to  agriculture  by  the  appropriations  of  Congress 
already  alluded  to,  the  States  and  most  of  the  counties 
have  agricultural  societies. 

In  1862,  the  State  of  Oregon,  by  its  Legislature, 
incorporated  an  agricultural  college  at  Eugene  City; 
and  the  State  agricultural  society  of  that  State,  which 
has  a  meeting  annually  at  Salem,  exerts  much  influence 
upon  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  State  and  the 
prosperity  of  the  people. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1870,  "The  Columbia  District 
Agricultural  Society"  was  organized  at   Dalles  City, 


accor 
who 
Octol 
admitt 
thirty- 
twenty 


EDUCATION  AND  REFORM. 


395 


Oregon.  This  society  will  embrace  all  of  Oregon  and 
Washington  Territory  lying  east  of  the  Cascade  moun- 
tains. 

Industrial  School. — A  school  for  the  reformation 
of  juvenile  offenders  of  both  sexes  is  established  at 
San  Francisco.  During  the  year  1868,  the  inmates  of 
the  State  Reform  school,  at  Marysville,  were  trans- 
ferred to  this  institution,  and  the  State  Reform  school 
abandoned.  Unfortunate  children,  without  the  whole- 
some control  and  guardianship  of  parents,  and  those 
abandoned  to  their  own  resources,  or  who  inherit  the 
low  cunning,  crime,  and  viciousness  of  wretched  pa- 
rents, swell  the  ranks  of  idle,  unwashed  urchins,  who, 
in  the  genial  climate  of  San  Francisco,  congregate 
under  and  about  the  wharves  and  city  front,  subsisting 
upon  stray  scraps  and  the  fruits  of  pilfering,  and  afford 
abundant  material  for  this  institution  and  for  the  State 
prison. 

Deaf,  Dumb,  and  Blind. — ^The  State  has  recently 
erected  in  Alameda  county,  about  four  miles  north  of 
the  city  of  Oakland,  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
eight  thousand  dollars,  an  institution  for  the  care  and 
education  of  the  deaf,  dumb,  and  blind.  It  is  the  only 
establishment  of  this  character  on  the  Pacific  coast,  is 
built  upon  the  most  improved  plan,  and  has  capacity  to 
accommodate  all  those  persons  upon  the  Pacific  coast 
who  may  find  it  necessary  to  enter  it.  From  the  i  st  of 
October,  1867,  to  1870,  but  ninety-six  persons  were 
admitted  to  this  institution — sixty  deaf  and  dumb  and 
thirty-six  blind.  Persons  between  the  ages  of  six  and 
twenty-five  years  are  entitled  to  admission. 


396 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


NEWSPAPERS,  BOOKS,  LIBRARIES,  AND  LITERATURE. 

There  is  not  a  State  in  the  Union  nor  a  country  in 
the  world  whose  people,  as  a  class,  is  so  well  educated, 
enlightened,  and  progressive  as  the  people  of  California. 
The  first  settlers  of  the  State  were  generally  engaged 
in  active  life  in  their  fearly  homes;  persons  of  energy, 
ambition,  and  generally  better  educated  than  the  mass 
of  their  countrymen.  Misfortune  in  business,  and  a 
restless  and  uncontrollable  desire  to  gain  riches,  to- 
gether with  the  spirit  of  adventure,  drew  to  the  Pacific 
coast  the  mass  of  its  population.  Many  of  the  early 
comers  were  compelled  to  make  long  and  expensive 
voyages  by  sea,  and  tedious  journeys  by  land,  often 
through  foreign  countries  and  amidst  scenes  and  cir- 
cumstances which,  of  themselves,  formed  a  most  iiiter- 
esting  and  salutary  chapter  in  the  history  of  their  lives. 
On  their  arrival  in  California,  new  and  strange  fields  of 
industry  were  opened  up  to  them.  Men  of  culture  and 
letters  were  found  in  the  employments  allotted  to  me- 
nials in  the  older-settled  parts  of  the  world,  and  these 
men,  located  throughout  the  country  in  farming,  stock- 
raising,  lumbering,  mining,  and  other  industries,  and 
engaged  in  the  various  trades  and  business  of  the 
cities,  form  the  mass  of  liberal-minded,  intelligent  men 
who  have  broken  down  the  barriers  of  superstition  and 
staid  conventionalities. of  sectarianism,  and  established 
a  social  and  mental  activity  commensurate  with  the  age, 
and  in  happy  contrast  with  the  narrow  prejudices  and 
sectional  strifes  of  many  of  the  older-settled  sections 
of  the  countr\*. 

Civilization,  in  its  westwar^^  march,  is  no  longer 
guided  by  the  rude  trapper  and  axeman,  but  pushed 


part 

Th 

humi 

classe 

the  c 

San 

Germ 

half 

languj 
Th( 


EDUCATION  AND  BOOKS. 


397 


)ns 


ahead  by  the  refining  and  enlightening  influences  of 
the  school-house  and  printing-press,  whose  presence, 
and  power  are  felt  in  every  home  throughout  the  wide 
expanse  of  the  Pacific  slope. 

As  early  as  the  year  i860,  when  California  was  but 
ten  years  old,  as  a  State,  and  her  whole  population  but 
379,994,  her  newspaper  circulation,  in  proportion  to  her 
population,  was  the  largest  in  the  world,  far  surpassing 
any  part  of  New  England  and  Europe.  At  that  period 
the  annual  circulation  of  newspapers  in  the  United 
States  was  thirty  to  each  person.  The  average  in  the 
fifteen  slave  States  was  but  fourteen.  In  California  the 
issue  was  sixty-nine  to  each  person — more  than  double 
that  of  the  average  of  the  whole  country,  and  five  times 
as  great  as  that  of  the  slave  States.  Besides  the  issue 
of  papers  from  the  press  of  the  State,  as  here  indicated, 
a  greater  amount  of  reading  matter  from  the  Adantic 
3tat6s  and  Europe — newspapers  and  magazines — is  re- 
ceived in  California,  in  proportion  to  the  population, 
than  is  received  in  any  other  State  in  the  Union  from 
abroad.  So,  too,  with  letters:  the  letter  mails  of  Cali- 
fornia are  larger,  in  proportion  to  the  population,  than 
the  mails  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union  or  any  other 
part  of  the  world. 

There  are  published  in  the  State  of  California  one 
hundred  and  seventy  newspapers  and  magazines  of  all 
classes,  sixty-seven  of  this  number  being  published  in 
the  city  of  San  Francisco.  The  foreign  residents  in 
San  Francisco  publish  and  maintain  newspapers  in 
German,  French,  Spanish,  and  Italian;  also,  one  one- 
half  in  Russian,  and  a  monthly  issue  in  the  Chinese 
language  for  circulation  in  Asia. 

The  newspaper  press  of  the  State,  in  many  instances, 


393 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


is  conducted  with  much  spirit  and  ability,  and  is  most 
liberally  patronized  by  the  business  community  as  an 
advertising  medium.  In  California  everybody  reads 
newspapers.  On  the  street-corners,  hand-cartmcn, 
hackmen,  and  draymen  seem  to  devour  the  contents  of 
the  daily  papers;  while  the  stage-driver  and  expressman 
throughout  the  valleys,  gulches,  and  ravines,  as  he 
speeds  his  way,  is  ceaseless  in  flinging  right  and  left 
wads  of  newspapers  at  the  door  of  every  farm-house, 
store,  inn,  cottage,  cabin,  and  footpath  which  leads  to 
the  dwelling  of  some  hermit,  secluded  in  the  jungle, 
ravine,  or  gulch,  where  he  lives  chasing  the  deer  or 
hunting  for  gold. 

In  the  field  of  authorship  and  bookmaking,  California 
has  not  been  behind  her  sister  States.  More  than  one 
hundred  different  books  have  been  written  in  the  State; 
some  of  them  ponderous  octavos,  and  embracing  his- 
tory, poetry,  fiction,  religion,"  education,  agriculture, 
mining,  politics,  and  a  variety  of  miscellaneous  subjects. 
This  number  does  not  include  the  statutes  and  State 
Supreme  Court  Reports. 

Throughout  the  State,  and  in  all  the  cities  and  towns, 
there  are  a  number  of  literary  societies  and  libraries; 
but  there  is  not  a  free  library  of  any  description  in  the 
State. 

There  are  sixty-three  libraries  in  California,  with  over 
two  thousand  volumes  each,  of  an  aggregate  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand. 

The  State  library  at  the  capital,  Sacramento,  contains 
about  thirty  thousand  volumes,  chiefly  law.  It  is  not  a 
circulating  institution. 

The  library  of  the  Mercantile  Library  Association  of 
San  Francisco  contains  about  twenty -eight  thousand 


EDUCATION  AND  BOOKS. 


399 


volumes,  which  circulate  among  its  members.  Com- 
modious reading-rooms,  well  supplied  with  papers  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  are  attached  for  the  convenience 
of  its  patrons. 

With  books  pertaining  to  the  early  history  of  Cali- 
fornia, the  Pacific  coast  generally,  and  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific  ocean,  the  Odd  Fellows'  library  of  San 
Francisco  is  perhaps  the  best  supplied  of  any  in  the 
United  States.  It  contains  about  twenty  thousand 
volumes. 

In  the  library  of  the  Mechanics'  Library  Association 
of  San  Francisco  there  are  about  sixteen  thousand 
volumes  of  well-selected  books;  and  the  public  school 
department  of  San  Francisco  owns  a  library  of  eight 
thousand  five  hundred  and  ten  volumes. 

There  are  about  five  thousand  five  huijdred  volumes 
in  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  library  at 
San  Francisco;  and  the  library  of  the  San  Francisco 
Verein  contains  four  thousand  two  hundred  volumes. 

The  Society  of  California  Pioneers  have  elegant 
reading-rooms,  and  a  small  library  of  some  two  thou- 
sand, five  hundred  volumes. 

Home  for  the  Care  of  the  Inebriate. — Besides  the 
thousands  of  drunkards'  homes,  in  saloons,  out-houses, 
wharves,  streets,  and  dwellings,  where  wives,  sisters, 
and  mothers  are  made  the  unwilling  gfuardians  of  the 
drunkard,  an  institution  called  the  Home  of  the  Inebrit 
ate  has  been  established  in  San  Francisco,  supported  in 
part  by  contributions  and  aid  from  the  State.  In  the 
two  years  ending  January  i,  1870,  there  had  been  ad- 
mitted five  hundred  and  thirty-seven  persons  to  this 
institution — four  hundred  and  seventy-three  males  and 


400 


TNE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


sixty-four  females.  As  in  the  State  prison  and  insane 
asylum,  foreigners  preponderated.  Of  the  total  num- 
ber (five  hundred  and  thirty-seven)  but  two  hundred 
and  thirty  were  Americans ;  while  three  hundred  and 
seven  were  of  foreign  birth — Ireland,  as  in  the  State 
prison  and  insane  asylum,  taking  the  lead :  Ireland,  one 
hundred  and  ninety-five j  Germany,  thirty-three;  and 
Scotland,  thirteen. 


BENEVOLENT  AND   CHARITABLE  INSTITUTIONS. 

Benevolence  and  charity  are  leading  traits  of  char- 
acter of  the  whole  people  of  California.  Long  voyages 
by  sea  and  tedious  journeys  by  land,  restless  nights, 
hard  fare,  privations,  and  poverty  at  some  time  in  the 
lives  of  most  have  worked  the  sordidness  out  of  their 
souls,  and  touched  the  generous  fountains  which  never 
fail  to  yield  their  pure  and  copious  flow  of  charity :  not 
miserly,  begrudging  charity,  but  hearty,  generous,  lib- 
eral aid,  that  makes  the  heart  of  the  giver  glad  and  the 
spirits  of  the  receiver  light. 

In  this  land,  where,  from  the  earliest  settlement  of 
thte  country,  the  mutual  exchange  of  a  pot  of  beans,  a 
piece  of  bacon  or  venison,  and  .a  night's  lodging  has 
been  regarded  a  sacred  duty,  and  where  the  sudden 
revulsions  of  life  have  taught  men  how  fickle  are  riches, 
charity,  either  in  its  organized  forms  or  individual  char- 
acter, meets  with  most  generous  recognition  from  all 
classes  in  California. 

Throughout  the  State,  in  every  town  and  village, 
there  are  organized  societies  for  the  dispensation  of  aid 
to  the  poor  and  afflicted.  In  San  Francisco  alone  there 
are  one  hundred  and  fifty  benevolent  and  eighty  pro- 
tective societies. 


desp£ 

the  M 

full  sp 

sight. 

plied 

was  d( 

in  desl 

husban 

the  girJ 

at  the 

father  v 

by  his  \ 

of  grea 

lent  soc 

26 


ORGANIZED   CHARITY. 


401 


In  California  the  objects  of  charity  are  not  of  the 
classes  found  in  older  settled  countries — old  people 
and  children;  for,  although  some  of  these  classes  are 
now  to  be  found  in  destitution,  men  and  vomen  in  the 
prime  of  life,  destitute  of  every  thing  but  p  verty,  are 
often  compelled  to  seek  temporary  relief;  jo  that,  from 
the  year  1849  to  the  present  day,  men  "  ad  women,  out 
of  empl(5yment  and  out  of  money  and  a  home,  may  be 
seen  ui  tlie  streets,  stores,  and  offices  of  every  town  in 
I  be  State  begging  for  alms.  In  many  instances,  when 
people  are  found  to  respond  generously,  their  kindness 
is  taken  advantage  of  by  those  who  make  a  profession 
of  begging.  A  couple  of  well-authenticated  cases  which 
recently  occurred  in  San  Francisco  will  illustrate  the 
extent  to  which  professional  begging  is  carried  on  in 
California.  A  man  with  a  sorrowful  face  called  upon 
the  head  officer  of  a  benevolent  society,  stating  that  his 
child  was  dead  and  that  he  had  no  means  of  defiaying 
the  expenses  of  the  funeral.  A  charitable  lady  was 
despatched  with  him  to  the  scene  of  mourning,  when 
the  fellow,  after  leading  the  lady  several  blocks,  ran  at 
full  speed  in  an  opposite  direction  and  was  soon  out  of 
sight.  In  another  instance,  a  young  girl  in  tears  ap- 
plied at  a  benevolent  institution,  stating  that  her  father 
was  dead  and  her  mother  and  little  brothers  and  sisters 
in  destitution,  and  without  the  means  of  burying  the 
husband  and  father.  An  amiable  lady  was  sent  with 
the  girl  to  learn  the  true  state  of  the  case.  On  arriving 
at  the  wretched  abode  of  the  family,  sure  enough  the 
father  was  dead  and  lying  in  a  rude  coffin,  surrounded 
by  his  weeping  wife  and  children.  The  case  was  one 
of  gre^t  distress,  and  the  good  lady  from  the  benevo- 
lent society  emptied  her  purse  into  the  lap  of  the  tear- 
26 


402 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


ful  wife  and  mother,  and  took  her  departure  to  procure 
further  aid  for  the  family  and  provide  for  the  burial  of 
the  unfortunate  man.  After  her  departure  from  tlie 
house,  and  before  she  had  gone  many  steps,  she  found 
that  she  had  forgotten  her  handkerchief,  which  she  had 
held  to  her  weeping  eyes  in  the  house  of  the  distressed 
family ;  so  she  quickly  retraced  her  steps  and  quietly 
entered,  only  to  see  the  "cold  corpse"  sitting  tip  in  his 
narrow  coffin  counting  his  coin. 

To  those  not  familiar  with  the  uncertainties,  priva- 
tions, and  trial?  incident  to  a  new  country,  it  is  difficult 
to  understand  why  there  should  be  poor,  people  in  a 
land  like  California ;  but  the  causes  of  temporary  or 
even  painfully  protracted  poverty  are  well  understood 
by  all  Californians.  San  Francisco,  containing  one- 
fourth  of  the  whole  population  of  the  State,  and  the 
main  depot  for  all  new-comers,  although  the  seat  of 
much  wealth,  luxury,  refinement,  and  pleasure,  is  also 
the  seat  of  great  distress,  vice,  and  poverty,  which  keeps 
the  city  hospital,  almshouse,  and  numerous  charitable 
institutions  taxed  to  their  utmost  capacity.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  more  than  twenty  thousand  persons  annu- 
ally receive  public  charity  in  the  city ;  one  institution 
alone — the  San  Francisco  Benevolent  Society — having 
during  the  year  ending  December  31,  1870,  aided  7,969 
persons,  at  a  cost  of  $22,488.  Owing  to  the  mild 
climate,  the  pains  of  pinching  frost  are  not  added  to 
penury ;  but  poverty  in  any  of  its  forms  is  bad  enough. 
In  San  Francisco  there  are  at  least  five  thousand  men 
and  boys  who  roam  about  the  city,  picking  up  a  living 
from  the  contents  of  milk-cans  and  bread  stolen  from 
the  doors  of  dwellings,  the  dregs  of  beerkegs,  and  such 
pickings  as  they  can  obtain  about  the  lunch  tables  of 


RELIGION. 


403 


saloons.  Of  this  number,  but  few  ever  see  fire  or  light, 
eat  at  a  table,  or  sleep  upon  a  bed ;  but  find  shelter  about 
the  wharves,  in  hogsheads,  coal-yards^  sheds,  stables, 
lumber-yards,  and  even  upon  the  sidewalks. 


ang 


RELIGION. 

Weighed  in  the  scale  of  orthodoxy,  the  people  of 
California  as  a  class  cannot  be  considered  religious, 
although  there  are  many  large  and  influential  religious 
organizations  and  devout  Christians,  and  zealous  relig- 
ionists who  follow  the  Mosaic  star  or  the  philosophy 
of  Buddha  and  Confucius.  As  in  most  parts  of  the 
West,  materialism  with  widespread  indifferentisrn  seems 
to  offer  easy  avenues  and  a  welcome  retreat  from  the 
trammels  and  anathemas  of  self-ordained  rulers,  and  the 
hidebound  dogmas  and  proscriptions  of  feeble-minded 
fanatics  and  bigots,  who  breathe  only  in  the  fetid  and 
sulphurous  atmosphere  of  ritualism  and  the  torments 
of  eternal  fire. 

Swinging  a  pick,  rolling  a  wheelbarrow,  and  washing 
dishes  in  the  mines,  with  scanty  meals  of  salt  bacon  and 
beans,  washing  a  dirty  shirt  with  blistered  hands,  and 
travelling  long,  dusty,  and  lonely  roads  with  an  empty 
stomach,  liave  been  found  most  efficacious  in  working 
the  superstition  and  other  nonsense  out  of  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  able-bodied  men  of  California. 

The  early  teachings  of  the  Jesuit  and  Franciscan 
fathers  have  had  but  little  effect  upon  the  heathen  ;  and 
at  this  period  nearly  every  vestige  of  their  former  labors 
afi'^.  of  the  native  Indians  of  California,  has  disappeared. 

In  California,  as  in  most  Spanish  and  Catholic  coun- 
tries, all  forms  of  religious  worship  except  Catholicism 
were  prohibited  by  law ;  and,  previous  to  the  year  1848, 


1 


»i 


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^*i9>PinfiiR!PPPP' 


mmmfffmrnm 


404 


TIf£   GOLDEN  STATE. 


no  form  of  Christian  religion  save  that  taught  by  the 
Catholic  missionaries  had  ever  been  preached  in  the 
land.  In  the  summer  of  1848,  the  Rev.  T.  Dwight 
Hunt,  a  Presbyterian  missionary  to  the  Sandwich  islands, 
arrived  at  San  Francisco,  then  a  scattering  village  of 
two  hundred  rude  adobe  houses.  He  was  elected 
"chaplain  of  the  town;"  and  commenced  preaching  to 
a  few  persons  in  a  small  house  occupied  during  the 
week  by  a  school,  taught  by  Thomas  Douglas.  Mr 
Hunt,  who  was  the  first  Protestant  minister  in  Califor- 
nia, continued  preaching  in  San  Francisco ;  and  was,  on 
the  29th  of  July,  (Sunday,)  1849,  elected  pastor  of  the 
"First  Congregational  church,"  which  office  he  held 
until  the  first  Sunday  in  January,  1855,  when  he 
resigned  his  position  and  left  for  the  Atlantic  States, 
where  he  is  still  (1872)  engaged  in  his  Christian  minis- 
trations. At  the  installation  of  Mr.  Hunt,  as  pastor  of 
the  First  Congregational  church,  which  took  place  on 
the  26th  of  June,  1850,  were  Revs.  J.  A.  Benton,  S.  V. 
Blakeslee,  S.  H.  Willey,  and  O.  C.  Wheeler. 

Although  Rev.  Mr.  Hunt  had  commenced  his  min- 
istrations in  1848,  no  church  organization  had  been 
effected  until  the  third  Sunday  in  April,  1849,  when  the 
Rev.  S.  Woodbridge,  who  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on 
the  28th  of  February,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Albert  Wil- 
liams, organized  and  established,  at  Benicia,  the  first 
Protestant  church  organization  in  California. 

Rev.  S.  H.  Willey,  subsequently  acting  chaplain  of 
the  town  of  Monterey,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Woodbridge, 
arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  board  the  first  passenger 
vessel  v;ith  gold-seekers  bound  for  California. 

The  second  Protestant  church  organization  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  the  first  in  San  Francisco,  was  the  First 


RELIGION. 


405 


Pl-esbyterian  church,  organized  by  the  Rev.  Albert 
Williams,  on  the  20th  of  May,  1849.  Mr.  Williams 
had  arrived  at  San  Francisco  on  the  31st  of  March, 
1849,  on  board  the  steamer  Oregon,  the  second  pas- 
senger steamer  which  had  arrived  with  gold-hunters. 
The  Secofid  Protestant  church  organization  in  San 
Francisco  was  the  First  Congregational  church,  pre- 
sided over  by  the  Rev.  T.  D wight  Hunt,  already  al- 
luded to. 

The  people  of  California  have  been  peculiarly  favored 
in  having  in  the  ministry,  from  the  earliest  period  of 
American  possession  to  the  present  time,  a  large  class 
of  those  whose  example,  influence,  fidelity,  virtue,  and 
sterling  labors  for  the  promotion  of  their  fellow-men 
have  endeared  their  names  in  the  memory  of  thousands, 
and  who  did  eminent  service  to  their  adopted  State, 
their  country,  and  religion. 

OVnitting  atheists,  pantheists,  Mormons,  deists,  spirit- 
ualists, free-lovers,  the  disciples  of  Buddha,  and  other 
"believers"  and  "unbelievers,"  the  organized  religious 
bodies  of  the  State  are  represented  as  follows: 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  numbers  in  California 
one  archbishop,  one  bishop,  one  hundred  and  twenty-; 
four  priests,  twenty-nine  students  for  the  priesthood, 
one  hundred  and  two  houses  of  worship,  beside  forty- 
seven  chapels  and  stations,  thirty-six  schools,  including 
five  colleges,  in  all  having  over  eight  thousand  pupils. 
It  has  also  six  asylums,  four  hospitals,  and  eight  con- 
vents. It  holds  enormous  properties,  draws  heavily 
upon  the  purses  of  its  members,  and  works  its  affairs 
with  the  precision  of  machinery.  Saddlier's  Catholic 
Almanac  for  1870  estimates  the  Catholic  population  of 
the  dioct  -  ;  of  Monterey  and  Los  Angeles  at  thirty 


mi^ 


406 


TIfE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


thousand;  and  the  whole  number  in  the  State  can  hardly 
fall  short  of  one  hundred  thousand. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  in  California 
one  hundred  and  thirteen  preaching  stations,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  preachers,  (including  probationers,) 
five  thousand  two  hundred  members,  and  one  hundred 
iand  forty-six  Sunday-schools,  with  nearly  nine  thousand 
scholars.  It  has  also  ninety-three  church  buildings  and 
fifty-five  parsonages,  valued  at  $990,000.  The  Univers- 
ity of  the  Pacific  owns  a  valuable  property  near  San 
Jose. 

The  Methodist  Epis  opal  Church  South  has  fifty  so- 
cieties, fifty-one  ministers,  3,385  members,  twenty-three 
church  buildings,  and  twenty-three  parsonages,  valued 
at  $1 10,000.  They  have  a  prosperous  college  at  Vaca- 
ville,  Solano  county,  and  an  academy  at  Visalia.  The 
Methodist  bodies  comprise  nearly  a  third  of  the  Prot- 
estants in  the  State. 

The  Old  and  New  School  Presbyterians  have  effected 
a  union.  In  California  they  have  eighty-eight  preach- 
ers and  forty-two  churches,  with  2,600  members  and 
3,500  Sunday-scholars. 

The  Cumberland  Presbyterians  claim  twelve  hundred 
members,  chiefly  in  the  interior  counties. 

The  Congregationalists,  who  differ  from  the  Presby- 
terians chiefly  in  the  simple  democracy  of  their  church 
government,  report  forty-nine  ministers  and  forty-eight 
churches,  with  a  membership  of  2,121,  and  5,178  Sun- 
day-scholars. They  hold  church  property  valued  at 
$271,000,  including  thirty-two  houses  of  worship. 

The  Baptists,  who  are  also  Congregational  in  govern- 
ment, have  fifty-eight  ministers  and  sixty-two  churches, 
with  three  thousand  members. 


RELIGION. 


407 


The  Disciples — a  branch  of  the  Bajptist  family — 
probably  number  two  thousand  or  more. 

The  Episcopalians  report  forty-five  clergymen  and 
thirty-four  churches,  with  about  two  thousand  commu- 
nicants and  2,600  Sunday-scholars.  They  have  a  theo- 
logical school  at  Benicia,  with  a  dozen  students,  and  are 
zealous  for  the  establishment  of  schools  in  every  parish, 
distrusting  the  public  schools  as  unreligious. 

The  Unitarians  have  four  congregations  and  four 
ministers,  with  a  probable  Sunday  attendance  of  one 
thousand  or  twelve  hundred,  and  a  scattered  constitu- 
ency of  several  thousand  more. 

The  Swedenborgians,  or  Church  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem, have  two  small  congregations  in  San  Francisco; 
and  there  are  several  minor  sects  represented  in  the 
State. 

There  cannot  be  less  than  ten  thousand  Jews,  who 
hold  fast  to  the  ten  commandments  and  the  worship  of 
the  Living  One,  though  they  have  only  three  or  four 
synagogues. 

In  round  numbers,  the  Protestants  have  four  hundred 
churches,  four  hundred  ministers,  twenty-five  thousand 
members,  and  twenty-five  thousand  children  gathered 
in  Sunday-schools,  with  a  probable  attendance  at  Sun- 
day meetings  of  twenty-five  thousand  persons  who  are 
not  counted  as  members,  making  in  all  a  population  of 
seventy-five  thousand  wiio  are  directly  under  this  form 
of  religious  instruction  and  influence  in  California. 

Of  the  Catholic  population  not  more  than  seventy- 
five  thousand  are  likely  to  be  reached  by  the  efforts  of 
the  priests,  making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  nominal  Christians. 


wm 


408 


r-Kff   GOLDEN  STATE, 


PRISONS,  CRIMES,  ASYLUMS,   CHARITIES,  &C. 

Prisons  and  asylums  are  doubtless  the  last  institu- 
tions that  could  be  thought  of  by  the  fortune-seekers 
who  look  toward  California  and  sigh  to  grasp  her 
golden  treasure.  But  such  institutions,  the  accompani- 
ments of  "civilization,"  are  found  even  in  California. 

The  rapid  acquisition  of  fortunes,  founding  of  civil 
government,  establishment  of  religion,  education,  and 
refinement,  have  not  been  the  sole  aim  and  occupation 
of  those  who  visited  California,  as  can  be  attested  by 
the  terrible  calendar  of  crime  and  the  ever-lengthening 
column  whose  gory  sides  still  run  with  the  life-blood 
of  the  victims  of  the  murderous  knife  and  pistol;  and 
the  cry  for  more  room  to  accommodate  the  ever-in- 
creasing throng  who  unwillingly  seek  an  admission  into 
the  expanding  jails,  prisons,  and  asylums  of  the  State. 

If  California  can  boast  of  her  virtuous,  industrious, 
honest,  and  progressive  men  and  women,  so,  too,  she 
may  mourn  over  her  corrupt,  idle,  vicious,  profligate, 
and  criminal  rabble,  who,  trampling  under  foot  every 
impulse  of  manhood,  virtue,  honesty,  and  industry,  seek 
only  by  crime  to  subsist  at  the  sacrifice  of  the  lives, 
property,  virtue,  and  peace  of  their  fellow-beings ;  and 
as  California  can  boast  of  her  success,  activity,  mental 
and  moral  forces,  quickened  and  propelled  by  the  cos- 
mopolitan nature  of  her  population,  her  genial  climate, 
and  invigorating  atmosphere,  so  she  can  look  with 
horror  upon  her  intensified  crime,  the  result  of  the  same 
natural  causes. 

Crime,  at  best,  in  any  of  the  States  of  America  or 
portions  of  Europe,  where  but  a  single  race  of  mankind 
live,  is  bad  enough ;  but  where  the  concentrated  sin 


CRIMES  AND  PRISONS. 


400 


and  villany  of  every  portion  of  the  world  meet  in  their 
poncrete  and  angular  forms  it  is  appalling ;  and  in  no 
other  portion  of  the  globe,  outside  of  California,  does 
crime  assume  so  many  and  such  loathsome  forms. 
Here  the  highwayman  and  mountain-robber  are  repre- 
sented by  the  daring  and  boldness  of  every  race  of 
men.  The  horse-thief  has  the  dash  and  agility  of 
Europe,  Asia,  and  America.  The  Jesperado  comes 
from  every  part  of  America,  Asia,  Europe,  and  the 
islands  of  the  seas;  and  the  professional  burglar  has 
picked  locks  in  both  hemispheres:  the  ponderous  doors 
of  mighty  iron  safes  at  his  bidding  fly  open  alike  in 
Paris,  London,  Pekin,  and  San  Francisco. 

The  midnight-ranger,  who,  with  murderous  club,  knife, 
pistol,  or  lariat',  lurks  for  the  unsuspecting  pedestrian, 
came  across  the  seas  with  the  brand  of  the  criminal  and 
his  hands  red  with  the  blood  of  his  fellow-men.  The 
slip-shod,  sly  sneak-thief,  who,  with  bated  breath,  spectre- 
like,  passes  through  apertures,  doors,  and  windows  as 
he  nimbly  plies  his  "jimmey,"  skeleton-key^,  and  chlo- 
roform on.  his  march  to  the  throat  or  pockets  of  his 
unconscious  victim,  has  perhaps  acquired  the  perfec- 
tion of  his  art  in  Hamburg,  Paris,  London,  or  the  penal  . 
colonies  of  Australia. 

The  shaven-headed,  sandal-footed,  shrunken-shanked, 
almond-eyed,  addle-pated  Chinaman,  who,  with  stealth 
of  fox  and  eye  of  lynx,  "counts  your  chickens  before 
they  are  hatched,"  and  throttles  your  favorite  rooster 
at  the  dead  watch  of  the  night,  first,  "like  the  hen 
gathereth  her  brood  under  her  wing,"  bagged  his 
chickens  by  the  waters  of  the  Hoang-ho  or  the  Yang- 
tse-kiang.  The  well-dressed  gambler  who  lies  in  wait 
for  the  "honest  miner" — the  quack  doctor  with  specif- 


41  o 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


ics  for  all  diseases — the  diviner  of  things  past,  present, 
and  to  come,  "speaking  all  languages"  and  interpret-, 
ing  the  phases  of  the  moon,  the  ebb  and  flow  of  tides, 
who  looks  equally  wise  in  the  shuffling  of  cards,  rolling 
of  globes,  manipulating  of  crowns,  or  the  tickling  of 
palms,  as  he  throws  the  mystic  symbols  of  his  art  before 
his  victim — may  all  have  left  their  country  for  their 
country's  good,  and  sought  a  new  field  for  their  opera- 
tions in  the  land  of  gold.     The  lewd  courtesan ;  the 
"nice  young  man  travelling  for  his  health ; "  the  genteel 
"bummer,"  who  picks  his  teeth  at  the  doors  of  fashion- 
able hotels,  escorts  stylish  ladies  to  the  opera,  boas'ts 
of  female  conquests,  and  "subsists  upon  the  enemy;" 
the  vender  of  bad  whiskey  and  other  poisonous  drugs ; 
the  unwashed  and  seedy  street-comer  loafer  and  bar- 
room bummer,  whose  unsavory  breath  pollutes  the  air, 
and  whose  unappeased  maw  and  guzzling  throat  wel- 
conies   the  stray  criimbs,  shrimps,  and  slops  of  the 
"  saloon  ; "  the  "  standing  witness,"  who  testifies  accord- 
ing to  his  pay  ;  the  traducer  and  calumniator,  who,  for 
hire,  drags  the  secrets  of  the  family-circle  and  the  grave 
before  the  public  ;  the  scribbler,  who,  through  a  subsi- 
dized and  venal  press,  blasts  the  fair  fame  of  man,  and 
bends  the  pregnant  hinges  of  the  knee  where  thrift 
may  follow  fawning — these,  with  a  large  number  of 
vicious,  idle,  frivolous,  none-producing  vagabond  men 
and  women,  create   in   a  great   degree  the   burdens 
and  evils  against  which  the  industrious,  honest,  pro- 
ducing people  of  California  have  to  contend. 

To  hold  in  check  the  ever  increasing  tide  of  crime, 
and  relieve  the  misery  and  want  incident  to  idleness 
and  profligacy,  has  sorely  burdened  the  people  of  Cali- 
fornia, who  find  the   establishment  of  new  criminal 


CRIMES  AND  PXISONS, 


411 


courts,  the  building  of  capacidus  jails,  hospitals,  and 
asylums  a  matter  of  yearly  increasing  necessity. 


STATE  PRISON. 

At  San  Quentin,  twelve  miles  north  of  San  Francisco, 
in  Marin  county,  is  the  State  Prison,  where  representa- 
tives of  every  race  can  be  seen,  serving  out  the  penalty 
of  almost  every  conceivable  crime  and  those  too  terri- 
ble for  the  ear.  This  institution  was  established  in 
1851,  since  which  period  to  the  ist  of  January,  1870, 
there  have  been  4,528  convicts  lodged  within  it. 

'Estimating  the  population  of  the  State  from  1851  to 
the  end  of  1870  at  five  hundred  thousand,  it  will  be  seen 
that  one  out  of  every  one  hundred  and  ten  of  the  popu- 
lation have  been  in  the  State  prison:  the  number  of 
persons  convicted  more  than  once  must  be  deducted 
from  this  enumeration ;  but  even  this  would  leave  the 
number  of  convictions  large  beyond  comparison.  It  is 
estimated  that  more  than  twenty-five  thousand  persons 
have  been "  indicted  in  the  State  for  the  commission  of 
felonies ;  and  that  the  total  number  of  arrests  in  Cali- 
fornia, from  the  year  1849  to  the  beginning  of  187 1,  for 
every  species  of  crime  and  misdemeanor,  amounts  to 
four  hundred  thousand.  As  the  population  of  the  State 
from  1849  to  the  present  period  would  average  but  little 
over  this  number,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  number  of 
arrests  made  during  the  twenty  years  of  the  existence 
of  the  State  about  equals  the  whole  population ;  but  it 
must  not  be  understood  that  every  person  in  California 
has  been  arrested  at  some  period  of  his  stay  here :  the 
fact  that  there  has  been  a  continuous  stream  of  people 
passing  through  the  State,  and  hoards  of  straggling 
vagabonds  and  adventurers  from  all  parts  of  the  world 


412 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


passing  to  and  fro  into  the  adjacent  territories,  and  the 
fact  that  the  same  persons  have  been  arrested  many 
times,  will,  to  a  great  extent,  account  for  what  might 
seem  a  record  of  unparalleled  crime. 

In  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  for  the  year  ending  June 
30,  1870,  there  were  15,232  arrests  made  by  the  police; 
twelve  thousand  of  which  can  be  traced  to  the  direct 
influence  of  intoxicating  drink.  During  this  period,  the 
loss  of  stolen  property  to  the  amount  of  $130,517  was 
reported  to  the  city  police;  of  which  jj  110,262  was  re- 
covered. 

The  completion  of  the  overland  railroad  brought  to 
San  Francisco  a  great  influr  of  professional  thieves, 
bunjlars,  and  counterfeiters  from  Atlantic  cities ;  but  so 
Dold  were  the  operations  of  these  professionals,  and  so 
efficient  the  detective  police,  that  in  nearly  every  instance 
the  guilty  parties  wc***^  arrested,  and  many  of  them  are 
now  in  the  State  prison. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1870,  there  were  732 
prisoners. confined  in  the  State  prison.  Of  this  number 
374  were  native-born  Americans,  73  of  whom  were  born 
in  California.  Every  State  in  the  Union  was  repre- 
sented in  this  institution.  There  were  also  358  persons 
of  foreign  birth  confined  here.  Almost  every  known 
language  was  spoken,  and  almost  every  profession  and 
trade  represented  except  clergymen  and  lawyers.  Of 
the  total  number  of  convicts,  5 15. could  read,  and  217 
could  neither  read  nor  write.  Of  the  Americans,  288 
could  read,  and  of  the  foreigners  227.  The  total  of  all 
classes  that  could  read  and  write  was  444.  Many  of 
the  prisoners  were  serving  a  third,  fourth,  and  fifth 
term,  and  one  his  sixth  term,  in  a  State  prison. 

During  the  year  1869,  a  school  was  established  in  the 


, INSANE  ASYLUM. 


413 


prison,  and  many  of  the  convicts  availed  themselves  of 
the  opportunity  and  devoted  all  their  leisure  time  to 
study. 

The  annual  expense  of  conducting  this  establishment 
is  ^114,600.  Beside  this,  there  was,  at  the  beginning 
of  1870,  a  debt  of  ^^87,000  incurred  in  enlarging  the 
buildings;  and  the  sum  of  <|530,ooo  paid  in  this  year,  to 
settle  an  adverse  tide  to  the  prison  grounds. 


INSANE  ASYLUM. 

Insanity  prevails  to  an  alarming  extent  throughout 
the  whole  Pacific  coast,  superinduced  to  some  extent  by 
climatic  effects,  combined  with  intemperance,  the  excit 
ing  scenes  of  speculation,  and  sudden  revulsions  in 
fortune,  or  protracted  impecuniosity.  No  particular 
class  indicates  excess  over  its  fellows  in  these  maladies 
and  afflictions.  The  stalwart  Polander  and  the  meek 
Mongolian,  the  millionaire  and  the  beggar,  alike  t.vvell 
the  ranks  of  the  insane  and  the  suicide. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  State  prisoners,  every  State  in 
the  Union  and  almost  every  nation  on  the  globe  is  rep- 
resented in  this  institution.  There  were  920  patients 
in  the  State  insane  asylum  at  Stockton  at  the  beginning 
of  the  year  1870,  and  increasing  numbers  still  pressed 
forward  from  every  section  of  the  State,  seeking  admis- 
sion inta  an  institution  already  crowded  beyond  its 
utmost  capacity.  Of  this  number,  (920,)  676  were 
males  and  244  were  females.  Insanity  is  much  greater 
among  the  foreign  than  among  the  American  native 
born.  Of  482  persons  admitted  in  1869 — of  whom  102 
were  females — but  179  were  Americans;  while  283 
were  foreigners  and  20  unknown.  These  unfortunates 
came  "  from  Greenland's  icy  mountains  to  India's  cOral 


414 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


^Strand  " — one  from  Iceland  and  one  from  India.  Ireland 
^as  represented  by  the  largest  number  of  any  foreign 
nation^-99 ;  next  came  Germany  with  37 ;  England, 
29;  France,  18;  and  China,  17. 

During  the  nineteen  years  of  the  existence  of  the  asy- 
lum— from  185 1  to  1S70 — the  total  number  admitted 
int(%it  was  4,596;  of  whom  1,001  died  and  2,243  were 
restored  to  reason.  The  expense  of  maintaining  this 
mstitution  is  about  ^152,000  per  annum. 


EXECUTIVE,  JUDICIARY,  LAWS,  &c. 

In  a  preceding  chapter  will  be  found  a  list  of  all  the 
Spanish  and  Mexican  civil  and  military  governors  and 
American  military  governors  of  California  from  the  first 
settlement  of  the  country  to  and  including  the  year 
1849.  Since  that  period  to  the  present  there  have 
been  ten  governors  in  California,  as  follows :  Peter  H. 
Burnett,  who  was  the  first  American  governor  after  the 
military  rule,  was  elected  by  the  people  on  the  13th  of 
November,  1 849,  his  term  of  office  commencing  on  the 
15th  of  December  following;  he  served  until  January 
8,  1 85 1,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  John 
McDougall,  who  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  with 
Burnett;  McDougall  served  until  the  ist  of  January, 
1852;  John  Bigler,  who  was  elected' for  two  terms  in 
succession,  served  from  January  i,  1852,  to  January  1, 
1856;  J.  Neely  Johnson,  from  1856  to  1858;  John  B. 
Weller,  from  1858  to  i860;  Milton  S.  Latham,  who 
was  elected  for  the  term  from  i860  to  1862,  after  filling 
the  office  for  fourteen  days,  resigned  on  January  14, 
i860,  and  was  elected  United  States  senator;  John  G. 
Downey,  who  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  with 
I^tham,  served  as  governor  until  i862;^Leland  Stan- 


EXECUTIVE,   JUDICIARY,  LAWS,  ^e. 


415 


ford,  January,  1862,  to  December,  1863.  After  tliis  the* 
governor  was  elected  for  a  term  of  four  years.  Fred- 
erick F.  Low  was  inaugurated  on  the  first  Monday  in 
December,  1863,  ^^^  served  until  the  first  Monday  in 
December,  1867;  upon  which  day  Henry  H.  Haight 
was  inaugurated  to  serve  until  the  first  Monday  in  De- 
cember, 1871 ;  at  which  time  Newton  Booth  v/as  inau- 
gurated governor  for  the  following  four  years. 

The  governor,  with  a  lieutienant-governor,  i.'j  elected 
for  a  term  of  four  years.  The  governor  receives  a 
salary  of  seven  thousand  dollars  per  annum  in  gold, 
(the  ■  irgest  salary  of  any  governor  in  the  Union.)  He 
resides  at  Sacramento,  the  capital  of  the  State.  The 
lieutenant-governor  receives  an  annual  salary  of  $3,600; 
he  is  compelled  by  law  to  reside  at  the  State  prison  as 
resident  director  of  that  institution. 

The  governor  must  be  at  least  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  a  resident  of  the 
S^^ate  two  years  previous  to  his  election. 

In  the  Legislative  department  there  are  two  branches 
— the  senate  and  assembly ;  the  first  consists  of  forty 
members,  elected  by  the  people  for  a  term  of  four  years. 
The  lower  branch,  or  assembly,  consists  of  eighty  mem- 
bers, elected  by  the  people  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
California  is  represented  at  the  national  capital  by  two 
senators,  elected  by  the  Legislature  for  a  term  of  six 
years ;  and  by  three  congressmen,  elected  by  the  people 
for  a  term  of  two  years.  All  male  citizens  twenty-one 
years  of  age  are  entitled  to  vote  at  all  election^. 

The  laws  of  California,  in  protecting  individuals  in, 
their  personal  property  and  private  rights,  are  most 
liberal.  A  homestead,  of  the  value  of  five  thousand 
dollars,  is  exempt  from  all  debts,  and  may  be  held  by 


r^ip 


^mmmmm 


416 


rJZff   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  head  of  a  family,  a  husband,  widow,  widower,  or 
any  person,  married  or  single,  acting  as  the  head  of  a 
family;  and  any  unmarried  person,  not  acting  as  the 
head  of  a  family,  may  hold  a  homestead  of  the  value 
of  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  separate  property  of  husband  and  wife,  before 
marriage,  remains  the  separate  property  of  each  after 
marriage ;  so  the  property  of  each,  acquired  by  inheri- 
tance or  gift  after  marriage,  remains  the  separate  prop- 
erty of  the  individual  acquiring  it. 

California  has,  by  statute,  wisely  protected  her  people 
from  the  machinations  and  spoliations  of  the  heartless 
creditor  by  exempting  the  tools  of  the  mechanic,  the 
horse  and  cart  of  the  laborer,  the  dray  or  wagon  of  the 
expressman,  the  horses,  farming  implements,  feed,  and 
seed  of  the  farmer,  the  library  of  the  professional  man, 
and  the  household  furniture,  provisions,  and  clothing  of 
every  householder  in  the  State,  from  execution.  There 
is  neither  arrest  nor  imprisonment  for  debt,  except  in  the 
cases  of  fraud  or  an  absconding  debtor. 

All  the  children  of  the  family  inherit  alike.  The 
father  or  husband  controls  all  the  joint  property,  and 
can  dispose  of  it  without  the  consent  of  the  wife,  except 
the  homestead,  which  he  cannot  encumber  or  sell  v.^th- 
out  the  wife's  consent.  The  husband  also  has  the 
management  of  the  wife's  separate  property,  but  the 
wife,  on  application  to  a  competent  court,  can  have 
another  person  appointed  her  agent. 

Lands  cannot  be  tied  up  indefinitely,  as  by  statute  a 
will  to  real  estate  is  limited  to  two  lives  in  being;  and 
a  lease  cannot  be  made  of  real  estate  for  a  longer 
period  than  ten  years,  except  for  a  town  lot,  vyhich  may 
extend  a  period  of  twenty  years. 


EXECUTIVE,    JUDICIARY,  LAWS,  &*e. 


417 


:he 
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the 
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iave 


Ccnveyance  by  deed  grants  the  /ee  simple;  most  all 
the  other  titles  known  m  other  parJs  of  the  world  are 
almost  entirely  unknown  in  the  State. 

Statute  of  Limitations. — Articles  charged  in  a  store- 
account  are  barred  in  one  year;  on  an  account  not  in 
writing,  two  years;  on  a  contract  in  writing,  promissory 
note,  &c.,  in  four  years;  on  a  judgment,  five  years. 

Divorce. — A  divorce  may  be  granted  for  any  of  the 
following  causes:  natural  impotency,  existing  at  the 
time  of  marriage;  want  of  consent  of  parents  where 
the  female  is  under  fourteen  years  of  age,  unless  a  rati- 
fication of  the  marriage  is  made  after  the  parties  become 
of  age ;  by  an  act  of  adultery  of  either  party;  excessive 
cruelty;  habitual  intemperance;  wilful  desertion  by 
either  party  for  a  period  of  two  years;  failure  on  the 
part  of  the  husband  to  provide  the  necessaries  of  life 
for  the  wife  (he  having  the  ability)  for  the  term  of  three 
years;  obtaining  the  consent  of  either  party  by  fraud; 
the  conviction  of  either  party  of  a  felonv.  A  residence 
in  the  State  of  six  months  next  preceding  the  action  is 
necessary,  in  order  to  give  a  court  jurisdiction. 

JUDICIARY. 

The  Supreme  Court  of  California  consists  of  five 
judges,  elected  by  the  people  for  a  term  of  ten  years 
each,  at  a  salary  each  of  six  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 
It  is  the  court  of  last  resort  in  the  State.  .  Terms  of 
this  court  are  held  at  Sacramento  on  the  first  Mondays 
in  January,  April,  July,  and  October. 

The  State  is  divided  into  nineteen  judicial  districts 

with  a  district  court  of  original  jurisdiction  in  each.     In 

each  of  these  districts  a  judge  is  elected  by  the  people,  ' 
27 


mmmm 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 

lor  a  term  of  six  years,  at  a  salary  of  five  ^housand 
dollars.  There  are  four  judicial  districts  in  the  city  of 
San  Francisco :  in  these  latter  the  salary  is  six  thou- 
sand dollars  each  per  annum.  Each  of  the  fifty  counties 
in  the  State  has  a  court  called  the  county  court.  There 
are  also  other  inferior  courti  of  limited  jurisdiction. 

California  constitutes  a  sepaiate  United  States  judi- 
cial district,  presided  over  by  a  United  States  district 
judge,  at  a  salary  of  five  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 
Courts  are  held  at  San  Francisco,  beginning  on  the 
first  Monday  in  April,  second  Monday  in  August,  and 
first  Monday  in  December. 

The  States  of  California,  Oregon,  and  Nevada  con- 
stitute the  Ninth  United  States  circv  f ;  and  a  United 
States  circuit  court  is  held  at  San  Francisco,  com- 
mencing its  terms  on  the  first  Monday  in  February, 
second  Monday  in  June,  and  first  Monday  in  October. 
The  judge's  salary  is  five  thousand  dollars  per  annum. 

The  legal  profession  is  well  represented  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  and  judges  and  attorneys  of  unimpeachable 
integrity  and  eminent  attainments  maybe  found  all  over 
the  States  and  Territories  of  the  entire  country.  There 
are  at  least  from  seven  to  ten  lawyers  in  California 
where  there  should  be  one.  In  all  the  towns  and  vil- 
lages, and  especially  in  San  Francisco,  where  there  are 
over  Jive  hundred  of  them,  there  is  a  great  overstock 
of  lawyers,  and  many  of  them  find  it  most  difficult  to 
earn  a  livelihood.  Some  few  firms  and  individuals  do  a 
fair  business  and  some  few  a  large  business  \  but  when 
a  comparison  is  made  between  the  lawyers  of  the  State 
and  the  merchants,  farmers,  or  other  classes  and 
branches  of  indus'try,  it  may  be  safely  said  that  the 
lawyers  of  California  as  a  class  are  the  poorest  men  in 


TRADES  AND  PROFESSIONS. 


419 


the  State,  and  that  great  numbers  of  them  eke  out  an 
impecunious  and  precarious  existence,  from  which  there 
is  no  hope  of  rehef  until  they  abandon  the  profession. 
Three  or  four  hundred  of  the  lawyers  now  in  San  Fran- 
cisco could  soon  add  much  to  their  fortune,  health, morals, 
and  the  benefit  of  the  State,  by  tilling  the  soil,  raising 
stock  or  chickens,  making  butter,  running  sawmills  or 
conducting  some  branch  of  regular  industry.  The  same 
might  in  truth  be  said  of  doctors  and  other  professional 
men,  who,  for  the  sake  of  staying  in  a  city,  undergo  all 
the  pangs  of  poverty,  while  the  broad  acres  of  a  gen- 
erous soil  only  aw-at  the  touch  of  industry  to  yield  its 
rich  harvest  and  bounteous  rewards. 

Throughout  the  whole  Pacific  coast,  every  city,  village, 
and  town  is  overstocked  with  "professional  men" — 
lawyers,  doctors,  dentists,  "  artists,"  &c. — and  still  thou- 
sands of  young  men  in  the  East  anxiously  seek  the 
West  for  a  field  of  professional  labor.  The  anvil  and 
the  plow  still  call  for  young  and  active  men,  promising 
them  peace,  health,  and  plenty,  while  the  occupations 
suited  to  woman,  and  the  streets,  concert  halls,  gambling 
houses,  and  drinking  saloons  are  crowded  with  stalwart 
"loafers"  and  decayed  dandies,  who,  in  our  practical 
age,  are  but  a  burlesque  upon  the  sex  to  which  they 
belong. 


I  m.rj^x  Lti  yr^fnrtwf^flimi^fSfpwilf^^ 


^^^^t^^mm 


mmmmmmm 


420 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Chinese  empire — Chinese  in  the  United  States — Seeking  gold  in 
America — In  California — Employments,  character,  and  customs 
of  the  Chinese — Chinese  in  San  Francisco — Moral  depravity — 
Chinese  persecuted — Social  and  political  condition  of  the  Chinese 
— ^Buddha,  Confucius,  and  Mencius — Religion  of  the  Orient — 
-Chinese  classics — Opium  and  other  stimulants — Small  feet  of  the 
women — Christianity  among  the  Chinese — Coolyism — Chinese 
slavery  in  America — Spanish  barbarity. 

The  great  empire  of  China,  with  its  four  hundred 
million  of  people,  peculiar  in  physical  type,  customs,  and 
religion,  has,  until  a  recent  period,  remained  compara- 
tively excluded  from  the  rest  of  the  world. 

Commercial  intercourse  with  many  of  the  seaports 
of  the  empire  has  long  existed,  but  the  great  interior 
of  the  country,  with  its  olive-faced,  almond-eyed,  sha- 
ven-headed, sandal-footed  people,  is  still  almost  un- 
known. 

Merchants,  travellers,  and  missionaries  may  be  found 
about  the  seaports,  and  gradually  work  their  way  into 
the  skirts  of  the  country;  but  European  customs  and 
the  name  of  Christ  and  his  mission  are  all  unknown  to 
the  people  of  this  vast  empire,  still  dreaming  over  the 
philosophy  of  Buddha  and  Confucius,  plodding  along 
without  the  appliances  of  steam  and  the  aid  of  modern 
invention.  China  is  to-day  as  it  was  centuries  ago, 
and  centuries  hence  will  find  this  vast  nation  almost 
as  exclusive  as  it  has  been  since  the  creation  of  the 
race. 

Until  a  recent  period  no  Chinaman  was  allowed  to 
leave  his  country,  and  if  by  accident  or  design  any 
found  their  way  into  foreign  lands,  and  returned  to  their 


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CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


421 


homes,  transportation  for  life  or  decapitation  awaited 
them. 

Throughout  the  civilized  world  to  this  day  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  strange  people  of  this  old*^st  empire, 
with  flowing  robes,  sandals,  and  cue,  is  a  source  of 
wonder  and  curiosity,' always  suggesting  the  Darwinian 
theory  of  the  creation  of  our  species. 

The  date  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  Chinaman  in 
America  is  uncertain.  A  few  Chinese  and  Japanese 
have,  at  remote  periods,  been  driven  from  their  native 
shores  to  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  and  occasionally 
upon  the  western  coast  of  America;  but  no  effort  had 
been  made  for  thousands  of  years,  either  by  these 
people  or  their  governments,  to  see  other  lands  or 
affiliate  with  other  people. 

In  the  twenty  years  from  1820  to  1840  but  eleven 
Chinese  had  arrived  in  the  United  States,  and  from 
1840  to  1850  but  three  hundred  and  thirty-five.  Of 
this  latter  number  three  hundred  had  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  in  1 849,  induced  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  the 
new  El  Dorado. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  forms  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  Chinese  migration.  The  proximity  of 
the  Golden  State  to  the  Orient,  with  direct  ocean  com- 
munication, soon  broke  the  hermetic  seal  of  the  "flowery 
kingdom,"  and  brought  floods  of  its  strange  people  to 
thv.  shores  of  America. 

A  few  years  before  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia, vessels  trading  between  China,  the  Pacific  islands, 
and  San  Francisco  carried  a  few  Chinese  as  cooks  and 
servants.  On  the  2d  day  of  February,  1848,  the  brig 
Eagle,  from  Canton,  arrived  at  San  Francisco  with  the 
first  Chinese  in  the  country — one  woman  and  two  men 


422 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


who  came  over  in  the  employ  of  an  American  gentle- 
man long  resident  in  China.  The  men  went  to  the 
mines,  and  through  them  and  the  masters  of  vessels 
anxious  to  employ  their  craft  in  profitable  trade  news 
reached  China  of  the  rich  gold-fields  of  America. 
Yankee  ingenuity  was  soori  employed,  and  walls,  trees, 
cliffs,  and  masts  of  ships  at  Hong-Kong  and  Canton  pro- 
claimed in  blazing  colors  and  Oriental  hieroglyphics  the 
startling  news  of  mountains  of  gold  in  California. 

Late  in  1848  a  few  Chinese  gold-hunters  arrived  at 
San  Francisco,  and  in  1849  came  an  addition  of  three 
hundred ;  so  that  the  earliest  American  pioneer  to  the 
gold-fields  found  himself  face  to  face  with  these  people. 
At  first  the  Chinese  were  regarded  with  great  curiosity 
and  treated  with  kindness;  but  the  vast  numbers  in 
which  they  soon  came  to  the  country,  their  exclusive 
habits  and  indifference  to  every  thing  American,  changed 
kindness  to  fierce  hostility,  which  loses  none  of  its 
bitterness  with  lapse  of  time. 

The  number  of  Chinese  who  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
in  1850  was  four  hundred  and  fifty;  in  1 851,  twenty 
seven  hundred;  and  in  1852,  eighteen  thousand — more 
than  eleven  thousand  having  arrived  in  the  month  of 
June  of  this  year. 

The  total  number  of  Chinese  who  arrived  in  the 
American  republic  to  and  including  1870  is  estimated 
at  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand ;  of  whom,  according 
to  *"he  census  returns,  63,154  still  remain  in  the  country, 
74,646  have  returned  home,  and  twelve.thousand  have 
died.  (The  bodies  of  the  dead  are  all  sent  to  China.) 
Of  the  63,154  Chinese  in  the  United  State's,  60,765  are 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  as  follows:  California,  49,277; 
Nevada,  3,152;   Oregon,  3,330;   Arizona,  20;   Idaho, 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


423 


4,274;  Utah,  445;  and  Washington  Territory,  234; 
leaving  but  3,389  Chinese  in  the  whole  republic  outside 
of  the  Pacific  coast;  of  this  number,  1,949  are  in  that 
portion  of  Montana  in  and  about  the  region  properly 
embraced  with  the  area. of  the  Pacific  slope.  These 
are  divided  among  the  following  States  and  Territories, 
as  follows :  Arkansas,  98  ;  Connecticut,  2 ;  Georgia,  i ; 
Illinois,  i;  Iowa,  3;  Kentucky,  i;  Louisiana,  71; 
Maine,  i  ;  Maryland,  2  ;  Massachusetts,  87 ;  Michigan, 
i;  Mississippi,  16;  Missouri,  3;  New  Jersey,  5;  New 
York,  29;  Ohio,  i  ;  Pennsylvania,  13;  South  Carolina, 
I ;  Texas,  25 ;  Virginia,  4 ;  Colorado,  7 ;  District  of 
Columbia,  3;  Montana,  1,949;  Wyoming,  143. 

It  will  be  observed  that  by  the  census  of  1870  many 
of  the  States  had  not  a  single  Chinese  in  them.  The 
census  of  this  year  shows  but  55  Japanese  in  the  whole 
republic,  as  follows:  California,  33;  Massachusetts,  10; 
Michigan,  i;  New  Jersey,  10;  and  Pennsylvania,  i. 
Since  this  period  many  Japanese  have  arrived  in  the 
country,  the  great  majority  being  of  the  higher  classes, 
and  have  entered  our  colleges  and  scientific  schools, 
where  they  make  rapid  progress  in  the  languages,  and 
seem  to  feel  a  deep  interest  in  adopting  the  costume,  lan- 
guage, and  customs  of  the  new  world.  Many  Ameri- 
cans have,  within  the  past  two  years,  at  the  invitation 
of  the  Japanese  government,  gone  to  that  country,  and, 
under  large  salaries,  entered  into  the  service  of  the 
I/Iikado ;  others  have  been  engaged  as  teachers  and  in- 
structors in  modern  civilization.  Ja|)an  is  represented 
at  Washington  by  a  minister;  and  with  fifty -five 
Japanese  in  America  for  the  past  three  years,  they 
have  imbibed  and  diffused  more  of  our  A  merican  ideas 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Chinese  who  have 


424 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


landed  in  our  country  have  done  in  the  past  twenty 
years. 

As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  location  of  the 
Chinese,  it  will  be  noticed  that  they  have  spread  over 
the  entire  Pacific  coast:  indeed  there  is  not  a  camp, 
station,  city,  or  village  throughout  the  remotest  part  of 
California,  Nevada,  Oregon,  Utah,  Montana,  Idaho, 
Washington  Territory,  and  British  Columbia,  but  these 
people  are  to  be  seen,  engaged  in  mining,  wood-chop- 
ping, making  roads,  farming,  fishing,  gardening,  wash- 
ing, in  factories,  and  in  houses  as  cooks,  chamber-maids, 
(men,)  nurses,  and  general  servants.  But,  in  whatever 
capacity  employed,  one  thing  is  apparent  everywhere : 
that  they  have  no  attachment  to  the  soil,  customs,  or 
people  of  America — they  don't  take  root  in  the  country 

Not  being  so  rugged  as  the  Saxon  or  Celt,  the  China- 
man adapts  himself  to  the  lighter  out-door  work  and 
to  the  duties  generally  performed  by  women  in  all  parts 
of  the  worH  outside  of  the  Pacific  coast  of  America ; 
and  when,  with  his  shaven-head,  smooth  face,  wooden 
shoes,  white  stockings,  and  white  jeans,  costume  flow- 
ing loose  and  airy,  he  is  engaged  in  household  affairs, 
while  puzzling  man  to  know  his  species  or  sex,  he  is 
the  picture  of  ease,  order,  cleanliness,  and  sobriety. 
But  see  the  Chinaman  as  he  is  to  be  seen  in  his  own 
quarters — see  twelve  thousand  of  them  huddled  to- 
gether within  a  few  blocks  in  San  Francisco,  stewing  in 
their  filth,  fumes  of  opium  and  odors  known  only  to  a 
Chinaman — see  them  cooped  by  hundreds  in  a  single 
room,  packed  away  like  mummies  on  shelves,  in  dark, 
damp  holes,  subsisting  upon  scant  morsels  of  boiled 
rice  and  dried  fish — see  him  waddling  knee-deep  in  filth 
through  narrow,  dark  alleys,  lined  with  rickety  shanties, 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


425 


whose  each  window-pane  reflects  the  spectral  form  of 
his  painted,  courtesan  countrywomen,  plying  their  vile 
arts  by  such  signs,  gestures,  and  grimaces  as  put  even 
the  sturdy  "honest  miner"  to  flight — see  all  this! 
have  your  olfactories  draw  mild  comparisons  between 
a  Chinese  "  stink-pot "  of  ancient  times  and  these  im- 
ported and  nameless  odors,  and  feel  compassion  for 
the  hog  put  in  comparison  with  these  heathen,  in  their 
styes,  and  you  may  have  some  idea  of  social  life  and 
habits  among  the  celestials  in  Sacramento  and  Jackson 
streets,  and  other  localities  in  San  Francisco. 

Three  virtues  are  always  found  prominent  with  China- 
men: patience,  frugality,  and  sobriety.  Nothing  so 
much  draws  out  our  sympathy  and  interest  to  these 
people  as  their  childlike,  innocent-looking  faces,  and 
the  uncomplaining,  mild  disposition  with  which  they  pur- 
sue their  allotted  employment. 

Chinamen  in  the  mining  districts  of  the  Pacific  coast 
are  generally  employed  in  surface-mining,  and  working 
mines  abandoned  by  Americans.  In  many  instances 
they  make  rich  discoveries  and  good  pay ;  but  thou- 
sands work  where  fifty  or  seventy-five  cents  per  day  only 
can  be  made.  They  never  engage  in  quartz  or  deep 
diggings^  preferri.ig  to  sit  and  shake  a  rocker  through 
the  long  day  in  the  broiling  sun,  if  fifty  cents  per  day 
can  be  made,  to  risking  themselves  underground  for 
any  iriducement.  As  a  rule.  Chinamen  will  not  go 
below  the  level  of  their  heads  in  mining  on  any  terms. 

In  mining,  farming,  in  factories,  and  in  the  labor  gen- 
erally of  California,  the  employment  of  Chinese  has  been 
found  most  desirable ;  and  much  of  the  labor  done  by 
these  people,  if  performed  by  white  men  at  higher 
wages,  could  not  be  continued  nor  made  profitable. 


426 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Thousands  of  Chinamen  were  employed  in  building 
the  Central  Pacific  railroad  from  San  Francisco  to 
Ogden,  in  Utah;  and  thousands  are  constantly  en- 
gaged in  similar  work  in  all  parts  of  the  Pacific  coast, 
always  giving  satisfaction.  Indeed  it  is  conceded  by 
those  employing  them  that,  while  in  physical  powers 
they  are  inferior  to  the  white  man,  they  are  superior 
in  diligence  and  sobriety.  Drunkenness,  fasts,  feasts, 
saints-days,  celebrations,  election-days,  clubs,  compa- 
nies, orders,  societies,  parades,  and  every  thing  else  that 
attracts  other  men,  are  entirely  unknown  to, a  China- 
man. One  week  in  each  year  he  must  have  for  his 
new  year ;  and  although  he  would  once  in  a  while  like 
to  present  his  Joss  with  a  roast  pig  or  offering  of  a 
spring  chicken,  he  will  forego  this,  and  leave  his  soul 
to  fate,  rather  than  lose  a  day  and  his  seventy-five  cents. 

With  a  resignation  that  might  well  become  men  toil- 
ing only  for  eternity  these  quiet  people  plod  through 
the  long  years,  heedless  of  all  passing  events  save  the 
revolutions  of  the  globr^,  at  w'  ose  turn  they  count  off 
their  daily  stipend.  Intern?!  nor  external  affairs  of 
State  or  nation  disturb  noc  the  Chinaman.  His  home 
is  far  away.  In  the  distant  future  he  sees  accumulated 
coin,  a  great  ship  with  white  sails,  and  a  broad  sea,  and 
beyond  this  he  sees  his  almond-eyed  bride,  pig-tailed 
offspring,  floating  gardens,  fat  ducks,  and  a  happy  refuge 
in  the  blessed  land  of  his  ancestors. 

In  San  Francisco  whole  blocks  and  streets  are  occu- 
pied exclusively  by  Chinese,  where  they  conduct  every 
branch  of  commerce  and  traffic  in  Oriental  style — Joss- 
housesy  theatres,  markets,  workshops,  gambling  houses, 
all  in  operation.  There  are  many  large  importing 
houses  and  wealthy  firms,  high  in  the  estimation  of  the 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA, 


427 


mercantile  community:  some  of  these  have  accumulated 
considerable  wealth.  Thousands  of  Chinese  are  em- 
ployed in  the  city  in  factories,  making  slippers  and 
cigars;  and  large  numbers  are  engaged  in  washing. 
Chinese  wash-houses  strike  the  eye  at  every  corner 
throughout  the  whole  city,  and  in  every  city  on  the 
Pacific  coast. 

The  census  of  1870  shows  11,810  Chinese  in  San 
Francisco ;  of  whom  9,777  were  males,  and  2,040  were 
females.  Of  the  males,  877  were  under  fifteen  years 
of  age ;  and  of  the  females,  271  were  under  fifteen  years. 
There  were  1 89  males  and  131  females  born  in  Cali- 
fornia— 320  American  citizens  born  of  Chinese  parents. 

No  further  commentary  upon  the  morals  of  these 
people  will  be  necessary  than  to  state  that,  out  of  the 
1,769  Chinese  females  over  fifteen  years  of  age  in  San 
Francisco,  1,452  are  public  courtesans ;  leaving  but  317 
Chinese  women  in  the  city  assuming  Virtue. 

The  Chinese  in  San  Francisco  have  accumulated 
considerable  property,  notwithstanding  nearly  all  their 
earnings  go  to  China.  The  aggregate  wealth  of  this 
class  is  two  million  dollars,  all  of  which  is  personal 
property,  except  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  in  real 
estate  owned  by  a  "Chinese  doctor"  having  a  large 
practice  among  Americans.  This  is  the  only  real  estate 
owned  in  the  city  by  Chinamen. 

For  many  years  the  bitterest  prejudice  has  prevailed 
among  all  classes  on  the  Pacific  coast  against  the 
Chinese.  The  great  competition  in  labor  and  the  low- 
ering of  the  standard  of  wages  induced  by  these  people 
strike  directly  at  the  laboring  classes,  who  raise  their 
voices  loud  against  the  presence  of  those  who  de- 
grade their  occupation  by  reducing  its  pay  below  the 


428 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


standard  of  remunerative  prices;  and  who,  not  adapting 
themselves  to  the  institutions  of  the  country  nor  affili- 
ating with  the  people,  continue  to  remain  aliens  and 
strangers. 

Political  parties,  ever  catching  at  popular  prejudice 
to  gain  temporary  strength,  have  grasped  the  passions 
of  caste  and  race,  thrust  them  into  their  doctrines,  and 
incorporated  them  into  their  laws,  raising  oppressive 
barriers  and  cruel  distinctions  between  nien;  so  that, 
by  special  laws,  the  Chinaman  throughout  the  Pacific 
coast  has  been  made  the  centre  of  personal  hatred  and 
legal  discrimination  that  alike  degrade  manhood  and 
disfigure  the  temKe  of  justice. 

Popular  opinion,  marking  with  its  caustic  ton^h 
passing  men  a  id  events,  has  placed  a  deep  brand  on 
the  face  of  the  Chinaman  on  the  western  shores  of 
America,  until  society  utterly  refuses  to  receive  as 
"man  and  btothei""  any  member  of  that  vast  race  form- 
ing m.ore  than  one-third  of  all  the  people  on  the  globe, 
and  boasting  of  a  literature  and  religion  centuries  older 
than  civilization  in  the  western  world. 

In  California  no  social  intercourse  whatever,  except 
in  commercial  affairs,  is  held  between  Americans  and 
Chinese;  indeed,  no  thought  of  the  possibility  of  do- 
mestic relations  between  the  Chinaman  and  the  Cau- 
casian enters  the  minds  of  either  people. 

Marriage  with  any  other  of  the  colored  or  mixed 
races  of  men,  Iiidian  or  negro,  is  possible ;  but  no  white 
man  on  the  Pacific  coast  has  yet  made  any  such  allirnce 
with  a  Chinese.  In  the  strangely  blended  typf  s  of 
man,  as  found  in  California,  mixed  and  crossed  b;  3eds, 
between  almost  every  race  and  shade,  present  Cau- 
casian blood;  but  no  instance  is  to  be  found  plea^Tifg 


CHINESE  IN  AMERICA. 


429 


the  mutuality  of  the  Saxon  or  Celt  with  the  people  of 
the  Orient  in  the  propagation  of  half-breed  Chinese. 

In  New  York,  Louisiana,  and  perhaps  other  sections 
of  the  East,  instances  exist  of  marriages  of  Irish  women 
to  Chinese  husbands;  but  on  the  Pacific  coast  ho  white 
woman  has,  so  far,  yielded  to  a  disgrace  that  would  at 
once  place  her  outside  the  pale  of  the  lowest  society  of 
her  people,  and  endanger  her  life  itself;  for  so  deeply 
rooted  and  general  is  the  prejudice  against  amalgama- 
tion with  Chinese  that  every  species  of  crime  may  be 
committed  under  some  pretext  or  other,  but  the  last 
crowning  sin — to  marry  a  Chinese — will  be  avoided. 
The  human  nondescript  that  might  be  produced  by  the 
amalgamation  of  the  CaMcasian  and  Chinese  must  long 
remain  unknown,  at  least  in  California. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  Chinese  religion  by 
those  who  know  but  little  about  it,  it  must  be  confessed 
that  their  three  great  teachers,  Buddha,  Confucius,  and 
Mencius,  in  morality,  sobriety,  and  the  plain,  practical 
precepts  of  life,  stand  unsurpassed  in  the  history  of  the 
human  race.  In  all  the  writings  of  the  advocates  of 
other  religions  no  passages  more  deeply  weave  them- 
selves mto  the  fabric  of  our  better  human  nature  than 
the  sweet,  tender  loving  tones  of  Confucius  when  plead- 
ing obedience  to  the  laws  of  nature  and  advocating  filial 
love  and  obedience. 

The  doctrines  of  the  Chinese  philosophers,  while 
aiming  remotely  at  a  future  state  of  existence,  and  ac- 
knowledging tne  fatherhood  of  the  Deity  and  practical 
progress  in  sanctit)^  is  unencumbered  with  the  terrors 
of  fire,  and  the  mystic  vail  through  which  the  disciples 
of  miracles^  mystei  ies,  and  metamorphoses  struggle  to 
gain  glimpses  of  eternity. 


430 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


To-day  Christianity  is  the  great  predominant  religion 
of  the  West,  while  Buddhism  continues  to  be  the  re- 
ligion of  the  East,  indorsed  and  adopted  by  half  the 
people  of  the  globe.  Christ  came  to  teach  in  the  hum- 
ble capacity  of  a  carpenter's  son;  Buddha,  as  the  born 
son  of  a  Hindoo  king,  stepped  from  a  throne  to  the 
low  estate  of  a  beggar  to  teach  humility.  The  life  of 
Buddha,  the  founder  of  the  religion  of  the  East,  begj'/ 
in  Hindostan  five  hundred  and  fifty-seven  years  before 
Christ :  he  died  ct  eighty  years  of  age.  The  family 
name  was  Gautama,  or  Sakya-Muni;  and  in  later 
Jiff:;  the  prophet  was  called  Siddartha,  "he  by  whom 
the  end  is  accomplished,"  and  finally  Buddha,  "the 
enlightened,"  as  Jesus  is  called  the  Christ,  the  giver 
of  truth.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  by  pouring  water 
on  the  head,  he  was  consecrated  as  prince  royal. 
From  earliest  youth  he  was  most  studious,  and  in 
the  sciences  of  his  times  was  regarded  as  most  re- 
markable. Great  care  was  taken  to  keep  from  him 
all  painful  sights,  that  his  mind  might  not  be  afflicted 
with  sorrow;  but  the  sight  of  an  aged  man,  a  loath- 
some disease,  and  a  corpse,  for  the  first  time,  had 
so  pained  him  with  the  thought  that  to  such  all  might 
come  as  to  cause  a  sudden  change  in  his  whole  life. 
Turning  his  back  upon  palace,  father,  wife,  child,  and 
friends,  in  the  garb  of  recluse,  a'^iJ  in  the  face  of  a 
narrow,  intolerant  religion  of  the  Brahminical  church 
and  cruel,  caste  proscriptions,  he  entered  upon  the  es- 
tablishing of  broader  ideas  and  a  literature  in  harmony 
witFi  the  new  progress.  To-day  the  doctrines  cf  Biiddha 
are  the  foundations  of  the  prevailing  ieiigion  <-'"  Hin- 
dostan, Ceylon,  Burmah,  Siam,  Corea,  Thibet,  Cochin 
("hina,  China,  and  Japan.     If  numbers  be  evidence  of 


CHINESE  RELIGION. 


431 


the  virtue  or  strength  of  a  religion,  let  us  remember 
that,  in  1872,  the  estimated  population  of  the  globe  was 
1,380,000,000,  of  whom  380,000,000  were  Caucasian, 
200^^00:000  Ethiopian,  220,000,000  Malay,  1,000.000 
In-ao- American,  and  580,000,000  Mongolian. 

Buddhism,  now  known  in  China  as  the  religion  of 
/^,.was  introduced  into  that  country  from  Hindostan 
about  the  year  sixty  of  the  Christian  era,  and  now, 
amalgamated  with  the  doctrines  of  China's  greatest 
sage  aiid  teacher,  Confucius,  forms  the  staple  of  Ori- 
ental faith;  but  its  origin  in  Hindostan  dates  back 
five  hundred  years  before  Christ. 

Confucius,  whose  father  was  prime-minister  of  the 
state  wherein  he  lived,  was  born  five  hundred  and 
forty-nine  years  before  Christ,  in  the  ancient  kingdom 
of  Loo,  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  China,  now  the 
province  of  Shan-tung.  He  was  at  an  early  age  left 
:.n  orphan  and  educated  in  retirement  by  his  mother, 
Ciiing — a  woman  of  remarkable  virtues  and  intelli- 
/>«  ace.  The  family  name  was  Kung  Chung-ni,  but  is 
ro^ularly  styled  Kung  Fu-tse.  The  study  of  diplo- 
macy and  political  economy  early  ^^ngaged  his  allen- 
tion.  He  married  at  nineteen,  and,  like  Buddha,  on 
the  birth  of  his  firsr  child  left  his  wife,  the  more  closely 
to  apply  himself  to  his  studies  and  professions.  Wan- 
dering from  province  to  province  he  promulgated 
the  philosophy  which  has  made  him  immortal  in  the 
t yes  of  Oriental  nations,  and  to-day  dedicates  the  valley 
where  repose  his  remains  as  a  sacred  spot,  pointed  to 
by  the  learned  and  devout  of  his  race  as  holy  ground 
to  pilgrim  and  priest. 

In  the  Wu~king  and  S-shu,  "  The:  Five  Classics  and 
Four  Books,"  the  writings  of  Confucius,  are  found  the 


432 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


fundamental  basis  of  the  social,  political,  and  religious 
practices  of  the  Chinese  nation.  Here  we  first  find  re- 
corded that  earliest  manifestation  of  nature's-  sweetest 
voice,  The  Golden  Rule  :  "  What  you  do  not  want  done 
to  yourself  C'  ■>  not  do  to  others ;"  which,  in  modified  and 
altered  form;j>  been  woven  into  sacred  history  and 
laid  down  by  Ca  itian  teachers  as  the  light  of  the. law 
of  eternity.  Here,  too,  we  find  the  first  proclamation 
of  the  fatherhood  of  God,  "All  .between  the  four  seas 
are  brethren,"  says  Confucius. 

The  perfection  of  God  and  his  creation  is  beautifully 
set  forth  in  that  simple,  natural  belief,  to  which  enlight- 
ened man  in  all  lands  seems  to  be  approaching,  that 
"All  men  are  born  perfect,  and  if  not  educated,  the 
natural  character  is  changed,  and  man  becomes  de- 
praved." Few  persons,  not  blinded  by  the  green  vail 
of  superstition,  watching  the  sweet,  simple  innocence  of 
childhood,  the  purity  of  youth,  and  the  depravity  of 
manhood,  can  adopt  the  theory  of  pains,  penalties,  and 
fire  for  the  departed  spirits  of  babes,  and  that  mature 
age,  penance,  and  fiery  purgations  are  the  only  paths 
to  the  presence  of  God.  "Jesus  may  do  for  foreigners, 
but  Confucius  is  the  holy  man  of  China,"  says  the  son 
of  the  Orient  as  he  listens  to  the  tale  of  the  fierce 
tormeits  necessary  in  the  purgation  of  the  "original 
sin"  of  the  Caucasian. 

In  the  material  world,  centuries  upon  centuries  have 
rolled  away — kings,  governments,  and  dynasties  grown 
and  disappeared — Persia,  Assyria,  Egypt,  Greece,  and 
Rome  flourished  and  faded  away — the  eternal  hills  them- 
selves have  lifted  and  lowered  their  heads  in  the  lapse 
of  time ;  but  the  Chinese  nation  and  the  Chinese  people 
remain  unchanged.    No  admixture  of  other  races  leaves 


gong 
side 
earth 
their 


CHINA  AND   THE   CHINESE. 


433 


a  single  line  upon  the  physical  mould ;  nor  do  the  busy 
changes  in  science,  government,  society,  or  religion 
leave  a  single  imprint  upon  the  stereotyped  conditions 
of  these  people,  whose  primeval  customs,  literature,  and 
religion  are  as  active  and  fresh  as  they  were  centuries 
before  the  deluge,  the  dispersion  at  Babel,  and  the  rule 
of  Kublai  Khan.  The  China  of  to-day  is  but  the 
Cathay  of  centuries  ago. 

On  the  Pacific  coast  of  America,  more  than  in  any 
other  paft  of  the  globe  outside  of  China,  can  be  seen, 
in  Oriental  purity,  the  Chinese  people.  In  San  Fran- 
cisco, where  twelve  thousand  of  them  live,  all  their 
social  habits,  pcci^liarities,  and  religious  dogmas  are 
practised  as  in  their  own  country.  In  every  town  of 
importance  in  California,  Oregon,  Nevada,  Utah,  Moa- 
tana,  and  Idaho,  distinct  communities  of  Chinese,  with 
their  merchants,  doctors,  prophets,  mechanics,  actors, 
priests,  and  laborers,  are  found,  with  their  temples, 
theatres,  and  gambling-houses.  San  Francisco  alone 
has  five  public  Joss-houses^  with  innumerable  images  of 
prophets,  kings,  gods,  animals,  birds,  beasts,  fishes,  in- 
sects, and  fearful-looking  nondescript  creatures  having 
their  origin  only  in  the  brain  of  some  enthusiastic  dis- 
ciple of  Buddha. 

In  the  Joss-houses  there  are  no  regular  hours  for  wor- 
ship. In  each,  one  or  more  officiating  priests  live  in 
some  wing  of  the  building,  and  are  generally  attending 
to  lighting  Joss-sticks^  feeding  lamps,  arranging  vases, 
shifting  scenes,  mats,  carpets,  and  flowers,  sounding 
gongs,  and  burning  fire-crackers.  A  fortune-teller,  at  a 
side  table,  in  the  presence  of  the  gods,  directs  the 
earthly  affi^'rs  of  his  confiding  audience,  who  dole  out 
their  scanty  coin  for  his  mystic  art. 

2S 


434 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


People  pass  in  and  out  of  the  temples  at  all  hours 
of  the  day,  some  lounging  idly,  walking  about,  and 
jesting  pleasantly  upon  the  appearance  of  the  figures 
before  them ;  others  more  devout  bear  fresh  oil  for  the 
lamps,  flowers,  fruit,  boiled  rice,  sweetmeats,  roast  fowl, 
and  roast  pig,  and  distribute  them,  in  tempting  display, 
before  the  painted  images.  After  a  few  prostrations, 
cracking  of  Joss-sticks,  burning  of  paper,  sounding  of 
gongs,  beating  of  drums,  and  the  deafening  roar  of  in- 
numerable fire-crackers,  the  worshippers  gather  their 
offerings  of  flowers,  chicken,  and  pig,  and,  through  the 
smoke  and  odors  of  the  yoss-house,  pass  quietly  to  their 
homes,  to  pick  the  sacred  chicken-bones  and  eat  the 
rice  upon  which  Joss  is  supposed  to  have  made  his 
imaginary  feast. 

Chinese  never  bury  their  dead  in  foreign  soil,  and 
the  bodies  of  all  dead  Chinamen  throughout  the  re- 
motest interior  of  California  are  gathered  up  by  friends 
and  agents,  shipped  to  San  Francisco,  anc  from  there 
to  China.  The  spirit  of  a  dead  Chinaman,  according 
to  Chinese  belief,  can  never  reach  the  happy  sphere  of 
his  departed  ancestors  while  the  body  lies  in  the  soil  of 
the  foreign  barbarian. 

Mourning  for  the  dead  is  proclaimed  by  the  wearing 
of  white.  The  friends  of  deceased  persons  follow  the 
dead  to  the  grave,  scattering  Joss-paper  to  notify  the 
spirits  of  their  new  companion.  Flowers,  fruits,  boiled 
and  roast  chicken,  ducks,  and  pig  are  laid  upon  the 
grave,  to  appease  the  hungry  gods,  and  mollify  the 
spirits  of  deceased  ancestors. 

Love-making  among  the  Chinese  is  never  indulged 
in  by  the  writing  of  letters  or  personal  interviews  of 
the  parties  interested;  such  would  be  considered  very 


CHINA  AND   THE  CHINESE. 


433 


ilged 
^s  of 
very 


shocking.  Match-making  is  conducted  by  a  class  of 
women  who  go  about  from  one  family  to  another,  and 
report  to  the  parents  of  youth  desirable  matches  of 
either  sex.  Sometimes  engagements  are  made  between 
mere  children,  and  by  parties  at  remote  distances.  The 
lovers  never  see  each  other,  and,  as  the  bride  is  closely 
vailed,  the  "happy  man"  never  sees  the  face  of  his  wife 
until  after  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  when  in  the 
bridal  chamber.  But  little  affection  exists  bet\\'een 
man  and  wife.  They  are  never  seen  in  company 
together,  and  if  company  visit  the  home  the  wife  is  not 
permitted  to  sit  at  table.  Jn  the  street  husband  and 
wife  do  not  walk  side  by  side,  r»or  arm-in-arm,  but  the 
wife,  at  a  reserved  distance,  trots  along  behind.  The 
universal  education  of  Chinamen  in  their  country  does 
not  extend  to  females,  but  stringent  laws,  with  penal- 
ties, are  enacted,  prohibiting  the  education  of  women. 

Under  the  existing  laws  of  the  Chinese  empire,  po- 
lygamy is  not  prohibited,  and  the  husband  can  sell  his 
wife  and  child  at  pleasure.  Infanticide  prevails  to  an 
alarming  extent;  but  male  children  are  never  destroyed 
by  their  parents.  Writers,  sages,  and  teachers  in  the 
empire  all  denounce  child-murder,  but  no  law  of  the 
land  makes  it  a  crime. 

No  holiday,  day  of  repose,  or  Sabbath  is  observed  by 
the  Chinese,  except  the  new  year.  At  this  time  a  great 
demonstration  is  made,  generally  lasting  a  week.  New 
year  is  the  time  when  all  appear  in  their  choicest  flow- 
ing robes.  New  silk  must  be  added  to  the  cue;  the 
head  must  be  clean-shaved,  and  gorgeous  feathers, 
silks,  satins,  and  flowers  ornament  both  sexes,  All 
outstanding  debts  are  adjusted,  and  receipts  passed  in 
full,  paid  or  not  paid. 


430 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  beginning  of  the  year  is  not  at  regular  periods 
o!  time :  it  occurs  in  each  year  at  the  time  that  the  first 
new  moon  appears  after  the  sun  enters  Aquarius,  which 
is  at  irregular  periods  between  the  21st  of  January  and 
the  19th  of  February. 

In  their  mode  of  eating,  and  what  they  eat,  the 
Chinese  appear  as  strange  as  they  do  in  their  religion 
and  costume.  Tea,  the  great  staple  of  their  country, 
is  drank  by  all,  but  without  milk  or  sugar;  a  small 
quantity  of  dry  tea  is  put  In  a  small  cup  holding  a 
mouthful,  boiling  water  is  poured  on  this  and  drank  at 
once.  Rice,  fowls,  vegetables,  fruits,  sweetmeats,  and 
pork  form  the  staple  diet  of  all  Chinese :  but  little  bread 
is  used,  and  beef,  mutton,  butter,  cream,  and  milk  are 
totally  unknown  as  articles  of  food.  The  use  of  the 
knife  and  fork  Is  unknown,  all  food  being  carried  to 
the  mouth  with  the  chop-sticks:  these  are  about  the 
length  and  size  of  a  pen-holder,  and  are  held  between 
the  fingers,  the  two  outer  ends  coming  close  together, 
and  the  velocity  with  which  a  Chinaman  will  carry  to 
his  mouth  his  food  or  a  stream  of  soup  is  only  within 
the  comprehension  of  tlie  skilled  in  hydraulics. 

The  Chinese  indulge  but  little  In  intoxicating  drinks: 
brandy,  wine,  and  other  beverages  are  used  by  some, 
but  never  to  excess ;  whiskey,  gin,  and  other  compounds 
so  freely  used  by  Caucasians,  are  never  tasted,  and 
drunkenness^  is  almost  unknown.  In  seventeen  years 
Intercourse  with  a  hundred  thousand  Chinese,  the  writer 
has  never  seen  a  drunken  Chinaman.  If  the  philosophy 
of  Confucius  has  taught  these  people  what  the  Koran 
has  taught  the  Mohammedan  and  what  all  the  rest  of  our 
race  have  failed  to  learn,  something  has  been  accom- 
plished. 


CHINA  AND   THE   CHINESE. 


437 


•s 

if 


Tobacco  in  pipes  and  cigars  are  freely  used  by  neaj^ 
all  Chinese ;  but  so  far  the  chewing  of  this  narcotic  is 
left  to  their  wiser  brethren  of  Europe  and  America. 

Opium,  the  great  enemy  of  the  Orient,  was  for  many 
years  excluded  from  the  Chinese  dominions  by  rigid 
laws ;  but  the  avarice  of  British  merchants,  in  the  name 
of  the  ^'Honorable  East  India  Company,"  and  backed 
up  by  the  English  government,  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet,  in  1839,  imposed  its  sale,  and  opened  Canton 
to  its  free  importation.  Chinese  on  the  Pacific  coast  of 
America  indulge  freely  in  the  pernicious  drug  so  fatal 
to  their  countrymen ;  and,  beside  the  regular  imports, 
unheard-of  devices  are  resorted  to  in  smuggling  it  into 
the  country. 

The  importation  into  the  United  States  amounts  to 
over  two  hundred  and  ten  thousand  pounds  annually, 
valued  at  two  million  dollars,  upon  which  an  import  duty 
of  one  million  dollars  is  paid.  In  Tennessee  and  other 
Southern  States  opium  is  grown  to  some  extent,  and 
the  white  poppy  grows  .well  in  California;  but  the 
tedious  process  of  scoring  the  poppy  bulbs  and  high 
rate  of  wages  must  permanently  prohibit  opium  pro- 
duction in  America.  The  great  supply  centres  of  opium 
are  Persia,  Turkey,  Arabia,  China,  and  India.  This  drug 
is  obtained  from  the  capsules  of  the  white  poppy ;  it  is 
heavy,  of  a  dense  texture,  and  brownish-yellow  color ; 
not  perfectly  dry,  will  receive  an  impression  from  the 
finger;  tastes  bitter  and  acrid,  and  has  a  faint  smell. 
It  is  used  by  smoking,  and,  while  its  fumes  are  sooth- 
ing and  fascinating,  its  effects  are  most  destructive  and 
prostrating,  ending  often  in  physical  and  mental  ex- 
haustion and  insanity.  Persons  addicted  to  its  use  often 
become  so  infatuated  with  its  influence  that  they  aban- 


438 


TffE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


don  all  business  and  society,  betake  themselves  to  some 
secluded  dark  hole,  and,  drawing  with  their  last  breath 
the  fatal  opium  pipe,  surrender  life  to  this  subtile  tyrant 

In  dress,  the  costume  of  male  and  female  Chinese 
differs  but  litde :  loose  flowing  garments  of  some  light 
stuff,  wooden  shoes,  and  white,  drab,  or  sky-blue  stock- 
ings, are  alike  worn  by  both  sexes.  The  heads  of  the 
women  are  not  shaven,  and  instead  of  the  braided  cue 
of  the  men  they  wear  the  hair  fantastically  glued  up  in 
broad  fan-like  wings,  and  gayly  bedecked  with  flowers. 

Widows  in  China  are  not  permitted  to  marry  within 
three  years  of  the  death  of  the  husband,  and  marriage 
with  a  widow  is  at  all  times  reproachful.  On  her  second 
marriage,  a  woman  is  not  permitted  to  indulge  in  any 
display:  she  must  dress  plainly,  and,  instead  of  the 
gorgeous  sedan  of  the  nuptial  festivals  of  virgins,  she 
must  be  carried  in  a  plain  black  chair  by  two  men 
only. 

The  custom  of  compressing  the  feet  of  Chinese 
women  is  of  ancient  but  oj^scure  origin :  it  is  done 
solely  as  a  mark  of  beauty,  as  their  Caucasian  sisters 
compress  the  waist.  When  the  child  is  from  three  to 
five  years  of  age,  the  feet  are  firmly  bound  with  strong 
strips  of  cloth,  the  toes  bent  under,  and  the  foot  placed 
in  an  iron  shoe :  in  this  condition  it  remains  for  several 
years,  the  child  meantime  undergoing  intense  agony. 
When  the  person  is  full-grown,  the  foot  is  but  the  size 
of  a  child's.  The  process  completely  cripples  the  per- 
son, but  the  more  helpless  and  tottering  the  greater 
the  success  and  the  greater  the*  beauty.  So  far,  no 
small-footed  Chinese  women  have  arrived  in  America, 
because  all  the  immigrants  have  been  from  the  towns 
of  Hong-Kong  and  Canton  and  of  the  poorer  classes, 


CHINA  AND    THE   CHINESE. 


439 


who  cannot  afford  the  luxury  of  small  feet,  and  who 
by  long  intercourse  with  foreigners  have  abandonea 
the  custom.  The  idea  that  but  one  foot  is  compressed 
is  incorrect :  both  feet  alike  undergo  this  torture. 

In  walking,  Chinese  always  go  in  single  file:  they 
never  walk  arm-in-arm  nor  abreast,  but  string  out  like 
a  flock  of  wild  geese,  one  after  another. 

A  Chinaman  never  drinks  cold  water :  if  he  drinks 
water  at  all,  it  must  be  hot,  or  at  least  warm. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  China,  and  indeed  wher- 
ever Chinese  are  found,  all  the  labor  is  done  by  the 
people.  Horses  are  unknown  in  labor,  and,  unless 
kept  by  a  few  high  officials  and  military  men,  are  never 
seen  in  the  empire.  All  the  heavy  burdens,  stone, 
timber,  and  merchandise  are  carried  on  poles,  to  which 
hundreds  of  Chinamen  are  sometimes  attached.  Wag- 
ons and  carriages  of  every  description  are  unknown ; 
the  sedan  and  chairs  attached  to.  poles  conveying  all 
travellers  and  pleasure-seekers. 

In  the  few  instances  in  which  a  Chinaman  uses  ani- 
mal force,  in  plowing  or  other  work,  he  makes  but  little 
choice  in  selection  of  species  ;  so  that  to  see  a  h^«i  a, 
cow,  mule,  ass,  sheep,  dog,  and  a  goat  all  hitched  up  to- 
gether would  be  quite  in  harmony  with  his  propriety 
and  adaptation  of  animal  utility. 

Chinamen  in  America  make  but  little  progress  in 
Christianity.  In  San  Francisco  considerable  effort  has 
been  made  by  efficient  and  earnest  Christian  ministers  to 
evangelize  these  people.  A  Chinese  missionary  school 
and  chapel  have  been  maintained  for  many  years ;  and, 
while  many  Chinamen  partake  of  the  benefits  of  such 
institutions  to  acquire  the  English  language,  not  a  dozen 
conversions  have  been  made  in  twenty  years;  and  a  real 


.A 


440 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


devout  Christian  Chinaman  is  something  yet  to  be  seen 
m  the  new  worid. 

No  Chinaman  in  America  has  yet  undertaken  to 
study  our  laws  or  familiarize  himself  with  our  system 
of  government.  During  the  rebellion  of  1 861-5,  the 
seventy  thousand  of  these  people  in  the  country  re- 
mained totally  oblivious  to  all  passing  events :  no  one 
of  them  ever  shared  a  single  thought  or  sympathy 
with  either  combatants,  neither  frowned  at  defeats  nor 
rejoiced  at  victories.  There  is  neither  a  Democrat 
nor  a  Republican  Chinaman  in  the  whole  republic  of 
America. 

Coolyism,  or  the  enslaving  of  Chinese,  is  carried  on 
to  considerable  extent  throughout  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific  ocean,  the  republics  of  South  America,  Brazil, 
and  the  West  India  islands.  Most  of  the  Chinese  find- 
ing their  way  into  these  countries  are  shipped  from  the 
port  of  Macao,  lying  on  the  south  coast  of  China  near 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Hong-Kiang.  Spanish  and 
Portuguese  speculators  and  captains  seem  to  have 
almost  an  exclusive  control  of  this  traffic,  in  which 
African  slavery  in  its  worst  forms  exhibits  but  mild  types 
of  horrors. 

Since  the  abolition  of  negro  slavery  in  the  republic 
of  America,  strenuous  efforts  have  been  made  to  intro- 
duce Chinese  labor  into  the  cotton  and  rice-fields  of  the 
South,  with  but  little  effect. 

It  is  estimated  that  in  South  America,  the  Pacific 
islands,  and  the  West  Indies,  there  are  at  least  eighty 
thousand  of  these  unfortunate  Asiatics,  deluded  from 
their  country  by  the  allurements  of  heartless  specu- 
lators, now  undergoing  the  horrors  of  slavery  in  lands 
where  white  and  black  alike  hold  them  in  contempt. 


CHINESE  SLAVERY. 


441 


and  lay  the  heavy  burdens  of  servitude  and  bondage 
with  relentless  severity. 

At  the  port  of  Macao  and  its  vicinity  are  agents  of 
the  Portuguese  government  authorized  to  conduct  the 
deportation  of  the  coolies.  Other  agents  and  runners 
of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  governments  drum  up 
in  the  country  all  Chinese  who  can  be  induced  to  ship 
on  a  contract  of  eight  years  service  at  four  dollars  per 
month,  with  food,  clothing,  lodgings,  and  medicine.  At 
the  port  of  debarkation,  a  form  implying  the  willingness 
of  the  Chinaman  to  indenture  himself  and  embark  is 
gone  through ;  and,  after  the  vessel  with  her  human 
cargo  on  board  is  ready  to  sail,  a  final  inspection  of 
willingness  on  the  part  of  the  "cooly"  is  had,  but  gen- 
erally in  such  a  hurried  and  imperfect  manner  that  the 
poor  slave  learns  his  fate  only  when  between  decks  of 
the  ship  he  finds  himself  battened  down  and  with  his 
astonished  countrj'men  packed  like  sardines,  or  when, 
on  his  arrival  in  America,  he  finds  himself  the  bound 
slave  of  a  cruel  master,  or  on  the  auction  block.  To 
the  credit  of  humanity  be  it  said  that  Chinese  declar- 
ing their  unwillingness  to  leave  their  country  are,  under 
the  authority  of  the  officers  at  Macao,  released  and 
put  on  shore ;  but  under  the  specious  arguments  of 
"runners"  they  soon  find  themselves  at  sea. 

Great  numbers  of  coolies  find  their  way  to  Cuba, 
where  they  are  employed  on  the  sugar  plantations  as 
cooks,  house -servants,  washers,  cigar- makers,  sugar- 
makers,  and  in  all  manner  of  drudgery.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  upwards  of  thirty-five  thousand  of  these 
people  in  Cuba,  and  a  recent  decree  of  the  captain-gen- 
eral of  the  island  compels  all  not  bound,  within  a  g^ven 
period,  to  select  masters  at  four  dollars  each  per  month; 


442 


THE   GOLDEtf  STATE. 


in  failure  of  which  they  will  be  arrested  and  under  the 
government  placed  at  labor  for  life,  or  until  they  select 
masters  under  prescribed  rules  of  the  captain-general 
and  a  board  of  directors. 

Numbers  of  French  and  Spanish  vessels  are  engaged 
'i|n  carrying  coolies  from  Macao  and  other  Chinese  ports 
to  the  port  of  Mariel,  a  few  miles  west  of  Havana,  and 
after  quarandne  they  are  sent  to  their  master?  and 
landed  at  the  city  of  Havana,  their  destination.  All  not 
contracted  for  are  sent  to  a  guard-house  until  disposed 
of,  and  those  held  under  indenture  are  taken  charge  of 
or  sold,  their  term  of  servitude  being  eight  years,  and 
transferred  to  the  new  master  by  a  Spanish  official.  All 
f  Jiose  arriving  in  ill  health  or  disabled  are  auctioned  off 
to  the  highest  bidders,  who  place  them  in  hospital  until 
restored  to  health,  when  they  are  set  at  work  or  sold 
again  at  great  profit  to  the  first  buyer. 

In  their  new  homes  the  poor  Chinese  slaves  soon 
find  their  circumstances  most  wretched :  they  learn  a 
little  Spanish,  but  only  to  know  their  degradation — 
slaves  to  the  whites,  and  hated  by  the  blacks.  Thrilling 
scenes  of  revenge  by  the  coolies,  by  fire,  poison,  or 
otherwise,  often  follow  act:>  of  cruelty  by  the  whites. 

It  is  fair  to  conclude  that  nothing  short  of  the  inter- 
position of  the  United  States  government  and  the  sub- 
stitution of  republican  freedom  over  the  lane  Tvill  amel- 
iorate the  condition  of  the  wretched  cooly  in  Spanish 
America  and  the  West  Indies. 


? 


a 

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M 

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s^ 

wm 


mm. 


COUNTIES  IN  CALIFORNIA, 


443 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


Counties — Coast  counties — Area — Productions — Population — San 
Diego — ^Los  Angeles — Santa  Barbara — San  Luis  Obispo — Monte- 
rey— Santa  Cruz — San  Mateo — San  Francisco:  composition  of 
the  city,  its  population,  education,  buildings,  trades,  professions, 
newspapers,  nationalities,  society — Marin — Sonoma — Mendocino 
—Humboldt— Klamath— Del  Norte. 

In  the  general  description  of  California  in  preceding 
chapters,  the  principal  features  of  each  section  of  the 
State — climate,  seasons,  mountains,  rivers,  lakes,  bays, 
harbors,  forests,  mines,  and  agricultural  productions — 
are  given.  To  more  fully  convey  to  the  reader  the 
great  development,  resources,  climate  ind  condition  of 
the  different  sections  of  the  State,  ea.  unty  in  Cali- 
fornia, with  its  climate,  seasons,  natural  prodMctions, 
and  material  prosperity,  with  the  area,  populaiion  and 
principal  cities  of  each,  are  here  set  forth.  The  pro- 
ductions and  material  wealth  of  each  are  given  as  they 
were  in  1870,  this  being  the  period  of  the  enumeration 
of  population. 

In  order  that  the  various  sections  of  the  State  may 
be  followed  in  their  physical  connections,  the  counties 
are  divided  into  three  classes:  the  coast  counties^  facing 
upon  the  Pacific  ocean,  the  valley  and  interior  counties^ 
embracing  tlie  chief  agricultural  portions  of  the  State, 
and  the  mountain  counties  in  and  about  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada range,  representing  the  great  mineral  wealth  of 
California. 

The  most  southern  county,  adjoining  the  Mexican 
Territory  of  Lower  California,  is  San  Diego,  whicl. 
forms  the  first  county  (beginning  south)  of  the 


444 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


COAST    COUNTIES. 

San  Diego. — ^The  first  settlement  made  in  California 
was  made  in  this  county  in  1 769.  Here  is  situated  the 
beautiful  harbor  of  San  Diego,  the  early  haunt  of  the 
Jesuit  fathers.  The  county  is  among  the  largest  in 
the  State;  its  area  is  15,156  square  miles,  making  it 
almost  as  large  as  the  republic  of  Switzerland,  with  its 
15,261  square  miles  of  territory.  Several  of  the  New 
England  States  might  be  contained  in  tliis  county.  The 
combined  area  of  Delaware,  Rhode  Island,  Connecticut, 
and  Massachusetts  is  but  16,030  square  miles. 

The  county  of  San  Diego  is  bounded  on  the  west  by 
the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Los  Angeles  and  San  Ber- 
nardino counties,  east  by  the  Colorado  river,  which 
separates  it  from  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  and  south 
by  the  Mexican  Territory  of  Lower  California.  The 
climate  of  this  county  is  mild,  and  very  equal,  not  being 
surpassed  in  any  part  of  the  world.  Frost  and  snow 
are  never  seen,  and  the  years  succeed  each  other 
through  successive  periods  of  bright,  balmy,  dry,  sunny 
summers,  and  gentle  rainy  seasons  of  brief  duration, 
in  which  hill  and  valley  are  clad  in  verdure  and  fragrant 
flowers.  In  this  county  the  rainfall  is  only  one-quarter 
as  much  as  it  is  at  San  Francisco.  All  the  tropical 
fruits  gro\"  in  San  Diego — the  orange,  lime,  lemon,  and 
fig — and  experiments  recently  made  with  the  pine-apple 
and  banana  show  that  the  climate  and  soil  are  well 
suited  to  them. 

The  population  of  San  Diego  county  is  4,951 ;  of 
whom  3,743  are  native  born  and  1,208  are  foreigners. 
IRiere  are  2,300  residing  in  the  city  of  San  Diego,  the 
County-seat.    The  county  is  eminendy  an  agricultural 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


445 


one,  the  soil  being  rich  and  the  climate  genial.  Stock- 
raising  is  also  carried  on  extensively.  No  nr.ineral  of 
importance  had  been  discovered  in  this  county  until 
1870,  when  rich  veins  of  quartz,  containing  free  gold, 
were  found  in  the  southern  portion.  Since  this  time, 
three  quartz  nriills  have  been  built,  and  mining  is  carried 
on  to  some  extent. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  a  succession  of  rolling, 
bald  hills,  covered  with  wild  oats,  grass,  and  flowers,  and 
rich,  fertile  valleys.     Forest  trees  are  rarely  met  with. 

There  are  in  the  county  twenty  thousand  acres  of 
land  under  cultivation,  one  hundred  thousand .  grape- 
vines, thirty  thousand  cattle,  ten  thousand  horses,  and 
forty  thousand  sheep;  and  there  are  sixty  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat  grown  annually. 


Los  Angeles. — Lying  directly  north  of  San  Diego, 
on  the  line  of  the  coast,  is  Lbs  Angeles  county,  with  an 
area  of  six  thousand  square  miles,  1,100  of  which  are 
in  islands  off  the  coast;  and  a  population  of  15,309,  of 
whom  10,984  are  native  and  4,325  c*"  foreign  birth: 
5,600  reside  in  the  city  of  Los  Angeies,  the  county- 
seat.  The  county  is  bounded  south  by  San  Diego, 
west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Santa  Barbara, 
and  east  by  the  county  of  San  Bernardino. 

The  climate  here,  as  in  San  Diego,  is  perpetual  sum- 
mer: frost  and  snow  are  unknown.  Gentle  rains  in 
winter  cover  the  whole  surface  with  green  and  wild 
oats ;  native  grasses  and  flowers  spread  over  the  vast 
rolling  hills  and  rich  valleys,  which  are  entirely  free 
from  trees  and  present  a  charming  scene.  All  the 
seini-tropical  and  many  of  the  tropical  fruits  grow  well' 


446 


THE  C OLDEN  STATE. 


and  the  county  is  celebrated  for  its  vast  vineyards  and 
orange  groves.  The  orange  in  this  county  is  ripe  in 
the  months  of  December  and  January,  and  in  quality  is 
superior  to  those  grown  in  Central  America  and  the 
Sandwich  islands. 

-  The  rainfall  in  Los  Angeles  is  only  about  half  as 
great  as  at  San  Francisco.  Like  all  the  southern  sec- 
tions of  the  State,  there  are  eight  months  without  rain- 
during  whicTi  the  sun  hangs  like  a  ball  of  fire  in  a 
cloudless  sky ;  but  the  prevailing  westerly  winds  from 
the  Pacific  ocean  cool  the  atmosphere,  so  that  heat  is 
never  oppressive.  This  county  was  settled  at  an  early 
day  by  the  Jesuits,  who  discovered  gold  and  made 
some  progress  in  placer-mining  in  diis  county  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  before  the  discovery  at  Sutter's 
mill,  in  1848. 

Some  idea  of  the  prosperity  and  resources  of  this 
angel  land  may  be  had  when  we  know  that  there  are  in 
the  county  fourteen  thousand  horses,  twenty-five  thou- 
sand cattle,  five  million  grape-vines,  producing  annually 
one  million  five  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  wine  and 
one  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  brandy;  four  hundred 

'  and  fifty  thousand  sheep,  producing  anfiually  one  mil- 
lion three  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  wool ;  two  thou- 
sand four  hundred  fig  trees,  three  tliousand  seven  hun- 
dred lemon  trees,  five  thousand  three  hundred  walnut 
trees,  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  mulberry  trees, 
two  thousand  olive  trees,  and  thirty-five  thousand  orange 
aoes.  The  county  produces  seventy  thousand  bushels 
of  \'heat,  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand  pounds  of 
hortey,  and  three  hundred  thousand  bushels  of  barley; 
and  produces  one-third  of  the  whole  corn-crop  of  the 


COAST  COUNTIES, 


447 


State,  one-third  of  the  tobacco,  and  one-fourth  of  the 
silk  cocoons  grown  in  California. 

Los  Angeles  is  the  only  town  of  importance  in  the 
county :  San  Gabriel,  Soledad,  Anahime,  and  Wilming- 
ton are  growing  towns,  but  all  small. 


Santa  Barbara. — Along  the  coast  line  and  west  of 
Los  Angeles  county  is  the  county  of  Santa  Barbara, 
with  an  area  of  4,572  square  miles ;  of  which  432  square 
miles  are  contained  in  six  islands  lying  off  the  coast,  in 
the  Pacific  ocean.  This  county  is  among  the  largest 
ones  in  the  State,  being  as  large  as  the  combined  area 
of  the  States  of  Delaware  and  Rhode  Island,  larger 
than  the  Papal  States,  and  four  times  as  great  as  the 
area  of  the  Duchy  of  Brunswick.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
west  and  southwest  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  San 
Luis  Obispo,  east  by  Los  Angeles,  and  south  by  the 
Santa  Barbara  channel.  The  population  of  the  county  is 
7,784;  of  whom  6,538  are  native  born  and  1,246  are  of 
foreign  birth.  Santa  Barbara,  a  town  first  settled  in 
1 780  by  the  Jesuits,  and  beautifully  located  near  the 
ocean,  and  the  present  county-seat,  is  the  only  place  of 
importance  in  the  county.  Carpenteria,  Alamo,  Inas, 
and  San  Buenaventura  are  growing  towns. 

The  climate  of  this  section  is  unsurpassed  in  the 
world ;  with  the  exception  of  four  months,  during  which 
light  rains  fall  at  intervals,  the  entire  season  is  per- 
petual sunshine.  Frost  and  snow  are  unknown,  and 
the  prevailing  west  winds  of  summer  from  the  Pacific 
ocean  temper  the  atmosphere,  and,  without  being  too 
hot  or  too  cool,  make  it  bracing  and  most  invigorating. 
No  part  of  Italy  or  the  most  favored  portions  of  the 
globe  surpass  this  and  adjoining  counties;  in  climate. 


448 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


All  the  semi-tropical  and  many  of  the  tropical  fruits 
grow  to  great  perfection ;  and  general  agriculture  and 
stock-raising  are  prosecuted  with  great  success.  The 
soil  is  rich  and  covered  with  luxuriant  native  grasses, 
wild  oats,  and  flowers.  No  part  of  the  State  is  better 
adapted  to  fruit  and  nut -growing  than  this  county. 
The  orange,  fig,  and  lemon  produce  most  abundantly. 

So  far  no  mines  of  importance  containing  the  precious 
metals  have  been  discovered,  but  asphaltum,  sulphur, 
and  other  minerals  are  obtained.  There  are  in  the 
county  forty-five  thousand  acres  of  land  under  cultiva- 
tion ;  four  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  grape  vines ; 
twenty-eight  thousand  olive  trees,  (the  whole  number 
of  olive  trees  in  the  State  being  but  thirty-four  thou- 
sand;) also  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  sheep, 
producing  annually  six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
pounds  of  wool.  This  county  and  Los  Angeles  pro- 
duce one-half  of  all  the  corn  grown  in  the  State,  and 
Santa  Barbara  grows  annually  more  than  one-third  of 
the  bean  crop  of  California.  Wheat,  barley,  and  corn 
grow  well.  There  are  two  hundred  and  twenty  thou- 
sand bushels  of  barley  and  two  hundred  and  seventy 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  produced  yearly.  The  county 
is  altogether  prosperous,  and  possesses  great  natural 
resources  for  the  building  up  of  permanent  wealth. 


San  Luis  Obispo. — North  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  on 
the  line  of  the  Pacific  ocean,  is  the  county  of  San  Luis 
Obispo,  with  an  area  of  three  thousand  two  hundred 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  4,772;  of  whom  3,833 
are  native  and  939  of  foreign  birth.  It  is  bounded  on 
the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Monterey,  east 
by  Kern  county,  and  south  by  Santa  Barbara  county. 


COAST  COUNTIES, 


449 


The  cHniate  of  this  county  is  similar  to  that  of  the 
counties  lying  south  of  it.  Rains  fall  to  some  extent 
during  winter,  at  which  season  fields  of  grass  and  grain 
are  all  green.  Frost  and  snow  are  unknown,  and 
summer  is  a  protracted  season  of  eight  months  of 
beautiful  sunshine  and  clear  sky,  without  a  drop  of  rain 
falling.  Like  the  rest  of  the  Coast  Range,  the  atmos- 
phere is  tempered  by  the  prevailing  west  winds  from 
the  ocean.  The  surface  is  a  succession  of  rolling  hills, 
high  mountains,  and  beautiful  valleys  covered  with 
grass,  flowers,  and  wild  oats.  Forest  trees  are  scarce. 
The  soil  is  rich  and  most  productive.  All  the  semi- 
tropical  and  many  of  the  tropical  fruits  grow  to  perfec- 
tion. The  lemon,  fig,  olive,  orange,  almond,  walnut, 
and  the  mulberry  tree  all  do  well. 

No  mines  of  importance  have  yet  been  discovered  in 
San  Luis  Obispo  county,  which  may  be  r'^arded  as 
strictly  an  agricultural  region.  There  are  no  towns  of 
consequence  .in  this  section;  the  town  of  San  Luis 
Obispo,  beautifully  situated  in  a  fertile  valley  nine  miles 
from  the  ocean,  and  the  seat  of  an  early  Spanish  mis- 
sion, is  the  present  county-seat  and  the  only  place  of* 
any  size  in  the  county. 

The  enclosed  land  in  the  county  is  one  hundred  thou- 
sand acres,  and  twenty  thousand  acres  are  under  culti- 
vation. There  are  in  the  county  thirty-five  thousand 
sheep,  ten  thousand  horses,  and  twenty-five  thousand 
cattle.  Dairying  and  sheep  and  stock  raising  are  car- 
ried on  extensively.  There  are  produced  annually  five 
hundred  thousand  pounds  of  wool,  three  hundred  thou- 
sand pounds  butter,  and  three  hundred  and  fift)'  thou- 
;sand  pounds  cheese.  The  county  in  climate,  soil,  and 
resources  has  many  attractions. 


450 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


Monterey. — North  of  3an  Louis  Obispo,  bounded 
on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Santa  Cruz 
county,  northeast  and  east  by  Merced,  Tulare,  and 
Fresno  counties,  and  south  by  San  Louis  Obispo  counfy, 
is  the  county  of  Monterey,  with  the  old  historic  town  of 
Monterey,  once  the  Mexican  territorial  capital,  for  the 
county-seat.  This  ancient  town  was  settled  by  the 
Jesuit  missionaries  in  1770,  and  for  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  was  the  most  important  point 
upon  the  Pacific  coast  north  of  Panama.  Here  it  was 
that  Commodore  Sloat,  of  the  United  States  navy,  on 
July  7,  1846,  hoisted  the  American  flag,  and  declared 
as  United  States  territory  that  vast  area  forming  Cali- 
fornia, Utah,  Nevada,  Colorado,  Wyoming,  and  the 
greater  part  of  Arizona. 

The  area  of  Monterey  county  is  4,356  square  miles: 
it  is  within  a  fraction  of  the  size  of  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut, and  is  930  square  miles  greater  than  the  com- 
bined area  of  the  States  of  Rhode  Island  and  Delaware. 
The  total  population  of  the  county  is  9,876;  7,670  being 
native  Americans  and  2,206  of  foreign  birth.  The  city 
of  Monterey  has  a  population  of  1,1 1 2.  It  is  beautifully 
located  near  the  southern  end  of  the  spacious  Bay  of 
Monterey,  where  the  surrounding  country  is  most 
charming.  The  climate  of  the  county  is  perpetual 
summer;  the  soil  is  rich  ^nd  productive  in  all  the 
semi-tropical  and  many  tropical  fruits ;  agriculture  and 
grazing  are  the  chief  industries  of  the  people.  The 
country  is  better  wooded  than  that  farther  south,  and 
the  "Monterey  cedar,"  a  most  beautiful  ornamental 
tree,  grows  abundantly.  Salinas  and  other  valleys  con- 
tain large  areas  of  most  productive  lands.  HollisteiV 
Castroville,  and  Salinas  City  are  prosperous  towns. 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


451 


There  are  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand  acres  of 
land  cultivated  in  the  county ;  and  five  hundred  thou- 
sand bushels  of  wheat  and  one  million  bushels  of  barley 
produced  annually.  Corn,  peas,  and  oats  grow  well, 
and  one-third  of  the  tobacco  grown  in  the  State  is  pro- 
duced in  this  county.  There  are  thirty-six  thousand 
cattle  in  the  county,  producing  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  pounds  of  butter  and  one  million  eight  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds  of  cheese  annually :  more  than 
one-third  of  the  cheese  produced  in  the  State  is  made 
in  this  county.  There  are  two  hundred  thousand  sheep, 
producing  six  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds  of 
wool  annually.  Bees  thrive  well,  there  being  more 
than  seventy  thousand  pounds  of  honey  produced  yearly 
in  the  county.  .  The  grape  grows  luxuriantly,  there 
being  one  million  vines  in  the  county ;  the  olive,  mul- 
berry, almond,  fig,  and  lemon  grow,  but  the  orange  has 
not  yet  been  cultivated  to  any  extent.  No  mines  have 
been  discovered  in  this  county,  which  is  one  of  the  best 
agricultural  regions  in  the  State, 


Santa  Cruz. — Bounded  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,' 
north  by  San  Mateo,  east  by  Santa  Clara,  and  south  by 
Monterey,  is  the  county  of  Santa  Cruz,  containing  432 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  8,743;  there  being 
6,758  native  Americans  and  1,985  of  foreign  birth. 
The  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  situated  at  the  southern  end 
of  the  county,  and  facing  the  lovely  Bay  of  Santa  Cruz, 
has  a  population  of  twenty-five  hundred,  and  is  the 
county-seat  The  sea-beach  here  is  lovely,  and  Santa 
Cruz  is  fast  becoming  a  fashionable  place  of  resort  for 
sea-bathing. 

The  physical  character  of  this  county  differs  mate- 


452 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


rially  fror^  that  of  the  counties  farther  south.  It  is  a 
little  cooler,  more  rain  falls,  and  the  surface  is  generally 
rugged  and  much  of  it  covered  with  forest  trees  of 
great  magnitude  and  value,  some  of  which  grow  to  fifty 
feet  in  circumference;  redwood,  cedar,  oak,  ash,  laurel, 
and  fir  are  abundant.  There  are,  however,  many  rich 
valleys,  and  the  pasture  range  is  excellent,  as  the  fogs 
from  the  ocean  keep  vegetation  green  the  greater  part 
of  the  year.  The  climate  is  perpetual  summer,  and 
semi-tropical  and  tropical  fruits  thrive.  Daiiying,  lum- 
bering, and  agriculture  are  the  chief  pursuits  of  the 
people.  There  are  eighteen  thousand  acres  of  land 
cultivated,  producing  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat  and  one  hundred  thousand  bushel^  of 
barley.  One-third  of  the  buckwheat  raised  in  the  State 
is  grown  in  this  county.  The  grape,  orai  ge,  olive,  mul- 
berry, almond,  walnut,  lemon,  fig,  and  fruits  generally, 
do  well.  There  are  seven  thousand  cattle  in  the  county, 
-and  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  of  butter  produced 
annually. 

Lumbering  is  carried  on  quite  extensively,  there  being 
twenty-seven  saw-mills  in  the  county.  There  are  nu- 
merous tanneries,  lime-kilns,  and  a  paper  and  powder 
mill  at  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz. 


San  Mateo. — On  the  coast  line,  directly  north  of 
Santa  Cruz  county,  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific 
ocean,  north  by  the  county  of  San  Francisco,  east  by 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  south  by  Santa  Clara 
county,  is  the  county  of  San  Mateo.  As  will  be  seen, 
this  county  is  situated  upon  the  peninsula  lying  be- 
tween the  ocean  and  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  The 
climate  is  much  cooler,  both  in  sunmier  and  winter,  than 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


453 


in  the  counties  farther  south,  but  frost  is  almost  un- 
known, and  snow  never  falls;  and  most  of  the  semi- 
tropical  fruits  grow  well.  On  the  coast  the  damps  and 
Fogs  keep  the  grass  green  all  summer,  and  the  effects 
of  drought  are  but  litde  known.  The  surface  of  the 
country  is  rugged,  and  its  southern  half  covered  with 
forests  of  redwood,  fir,  cedar,  ork,  and  other  valuable 
timber;  but  the  northern  end  of  the  county  is  roll- 
ing hills  and  small  valleys,  covered  with  grass  and  wild 
oats,  but  entirely  destitute  of  trees.  Large  areas  of 
the  county  are  fit  for  agriculture  and  grazing.  Dairy- 
ing and  lumbering  are  carried  on  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent. Gold,  in  small  quantities,  has  been  discovered, 
but  no  mines  of  importance  have  yet  been  developed. 
During  the  early  part  of  1871,  quartz  veins,  containing 
gold,  silver,  and  lead,  but  abounding  in  the  latter,  had 
been  opened  quite  close  to  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
and  within  five  miles  of  the  city  of  San  Frati*?isco. 
The  area  of  the  county  is  four  hundred  and  tjtirty-two 
square  miles.  There  are  eighty-five  thousand  acres  of 
land  cultivated,  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat,  five  hundred  thousand  bushels  of 
barley,  three  hundred  thousand  bushels  of  oats,  twenty- 
two  thousand  bushels  of  beans,  six  hundred  thousand 
bushels  of  potatoes,  thirteen  thousand  pounds  of  hops, 
twenty-four  thousand  tons  of  hay,  thirteen  thousand 
bushels  of  onions,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
sand pounds  of  butter,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  diou- 
sand  pounds  of  cheese  produced  annually.  Great  va; 
riety  and  quantity  of  fruit  and  vegetables  are  produced 
for  the  San  Francisco  market.  The  grape,  lemon,  fig, 
walnut,  almond,  mulberry,  olive,  and  orange  are  grown, 
but  do  not  thrive  so  well  as  in  the  counties  farther 


454 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


south.  There  are  fifteen  thousand  five  hundred  cattle 
in  the  county,  twenty-five  miles  of  railroad,  and  seven- 
teen saw-mills,  the  latter  producing  large  quantities  of 
lumber.  This  county  furnishes  Ssm  Francisco  with  its 
chief  supply  of  milk  and  water.  Redwood  City,  a 
small  town  upon  the  line  of  railroad  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  San  Jos6,  is  the  county-seat.  The  railroad 
from  San  Francisco  to  San  Jos(S  and  other  points  south 
passes  through  the  whole  length  of  the  county.  There 
are  no  towns  of  importance  in  San  Mateo:  Belmont, 
Menlo  Park,  and  San  Mateo,  all  upon  the  railroad  lines, 
are  thriving  towns.  The  population  of  the  county  is 
6,635,  of  whom  3,493  are  native  and  3,138  are  of  foreign 
birth. 


San  Francisco. — The  county  of  San  Francisco,  in 
which  is  situated  the  city  of  San  Francisco,  the  great 
mercantile  emporium  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  third 
commercial  city  in  the  United  States,  contains  an  area 
of  forty-two  square  miles,  and  embraces  the  narrow  pen- 
insula between  the  Pacific  ocean  and  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco.  It  lies  south  of  the  Golden  Gate, jind  the 
northern  point  of  the  county,  upon  which  is  situated 
the  city  of  San  Francisco,  is  a  succession  of  rugged 
hills,  sand  ridges,  deep  gulches,  and  green  valleys.  On 
the  southern  side,  adjoining  San  Mateo  county,  the  sur- 
face is  covered  with  grass  and  the  soil  is  rich,  but  there 
are  large  ranges  of  mountains;  while  on  the  western 
side,  facing  the  Pacific  ocean,  shifting  mountains  and 
hills  of  white  sand,  carried  from  the  shore  of  the  Pacific 
oceah  inland  for  miles  by  the  strong  prevailing  west 
winds  -of  summer,  give  a  wild  and  desolate  appeEirance 
to  a  wide  section  entirely  barren  and  destitute  of  trees. 


OLD   CITY    HOTEL,  1 846,  CORNER   OF   KEARNEY   AND   CLAY   STREETS. 
'First  Hotel  in  San  Francisco.) 


—  ■ .;  ■_; -ttt;  i^ .-  — 

^-     ■  ;f -i/ '  "' V=^"~ 

%^-.  ri^^^S?-      '  t^-_"        ■  .      , 

■ — --r:! —           i^,      _-n-j— -----T —  .^--.. 

~=-  *^;-      -Sii  ~~~- V-^-..  . 

g^..-.,^*^,,^*^.^- 

GRAND    HOTEL,  SAN    FRANCISCO,  I873. 


"■PP'BBIP'*"^ 


# 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


455 


The  sand  beach  for  miles  at  this  point  is  hard,  level, 
and  clean,  affording  an  elegant  and  romantic  drive,  with 
rolling  ridges  of  sand  on  the  east  and  the  broad  Pacific 
on  the  west.  At  this  point,  and  seven  miles  from  the 
city,  is  the  "Cliff  House,"  where  the  great  sea-lions 
perch  upon  their  sea-beaten  rocks,  and  are  objects  of 
admiration  and  wonder  to  the  new-comer.  A  fine 
macadamized  road  from  the  city  to  this  point  forms  the 
chief  drive  for  the  pleasure-seekers  of  the  great  me- 
tropolis. 

The  Bay  and  the  present  site  of  San  Francisco  was 
fin>t  discovered  on  the  9th  of  October,  1769,  by  Gov- 
ernor Portala,  the  Mexican  pioneer,  and  his  associates, 
who  made  a  journey  by  land  from  Monterey  northward, 
planting  the  cross  among  the  Indians.  Seven  years 
later  the  mission  of  San  Francisco  was  founded,  and  in 
1836  the  first  house  was  built  where  now  stands  the 
magnificent  city  of  San  Francisco.  The  growth  and 
commercial  importance  of  the  city  has  kept  on  steadily 
and  with  astonishing  rapidity  increasing  until,  in  ele- 
gance, it  is  not  surpassed  in  America.  High  hills  have 
been  levelled  down  and  flung  into  muddy  holes  and 
deep  ravines;  parks  laid  out  and  ornamented,  wide  and 
pleasant  streets  well  paved,  water  and  gas  conducted 
everywhere,  horse  railroads  running  in  every  direction, 
pleasure-gardens,  play-grounds,  public  lialls,  theatres, 
churches,  schoqls,  libraries,  banks,  hospitals,  colleges, 
foundries,  factories,  and  all  the  appliances  of  modern 
civilization  maintained  upon  the  broadest  principles. 

The  city  of  San  Francisco  is  substantially  built  with 
brick  and  wood.  Few  houses  exceed  four  stories  in 
height:  the  dread  of  earthquakes  check,  building  to  a 
greater  elevation.    In  the  business  centres  the  buildings 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 

are  all  made  of  brick  or  stone,  and  many  elegant  struc- 
tures with  iron  fronts  painted  white  adorn  the  city. 
There  is  not  a  city  in  the  United  States  where  so  much 
glass  is  used  in  buildings ;  almost  the  entire  fronts  of 
all  the  fine  stores,  hotels,  and  offices  are  elegant  plate 
glass  running  from  the  ceilings  to  the  street,  at  once 
giving  an  attractive  appearance  to  the  city  and  light  and 
comfort  within. 

Some  idea  of  ti*e  Pacific  metropolis  may  be  had  from 
a  brief  inspection  of  the  leading  features  of  the  compo- 
nent parts  of  the  city  and  its  population  as  demonstrated 
by  the  federal  census  of  1870.  At  that  period  the 
real  and  personal  property  in  the  city  was  valued  at 
<n2 65,000,000.  There  were  at  the  same  time  25,300 
houses  in  the  city,  and  36  banks  having  ^25,000,000  on 
deposit;  50  miles  of  street  railroad;  800  manufacturing 
establishments,  employing  |i  18,000,000  and  producing 
$45,000,000  in  value  annually;  36  halls,  45  wharves, 
8  theatres,  87  apothecaries,  600  lawyers,  70  book  stores, 
325  shov^makers,  33  brewers,  420  brokers,  370  butchers, 
27  cigar  importers,  64  cigar  factories  conducted  by 
whites  and  34  Chinese  cigar  factories,  employing  4,500 
Chinese  and  300  white  men,  and  producing  annually 
70,000,000  cigars  valued  at  $3,000,000;  450  retail  cigar 
stores,  42  coffee-houses,  71  confectioners,  60  dentists, 
200  dressmakers,  30  foundries,  220  fruit  dealers,  700 
groceries,  13  hospitals,  200  hotels,  20c  incorporated 
companies,  76  insurance  companies,  147  jewellers,  68 
laundries;  2,100  saloons,  which,  with  the  700  retail  gro- 
ceries, make  2,800  places  for  the  sale  of  liquors ;  450 
lodging  houses,  750  merchants,  100  Chinese  merchants, 
88  newspapers,  30  photographic  galleries»  450  physi- 
cians, 145  restaurants,  37  steamboat  lines,  100  music 


SAN^  FRANCIS.CO. 


teachers,  73  churches,  5  Jewish  synagogues,  14  Joss- 
houses,  241  benevolent  societies.,  62  protective  unions, 
1 2  literary  and  historical  societies,  40  military  compa- 
nies, and  41  social  clubs. 

Not  the  least  remarkable  in  the  development  of  this 
youngest  but  most  active  and  progressive  American 
city  is  the  composition  of  its  citizens.  Scarcely  a  spot 
on  earth,  from  the  metropolis  of  London  to  Iceland  and 
Fiji,  but  is  represented  in  San  Francisco.  Here  the 
strangest  physical  and  mental  types  of  the  race  are 
found,  each  leaving  its  imprint  upon  the  institutions  and 
rising  generatjjon  of  the  country. 

To  the  European  or  the  people  of  the  Atls  ntic  States, 
where  the  growth  of  great  cities  is  the  result  of  centu- 
ries, the  sudden  springing  into  existence  of  the  great 
commercial  city  of  San  Francisco  seems  like  fiction. 
Thirty-seven  years  ago  not  a  sign  of  human  life  marked 
the  spot  where  now  stands  this  proud  metropolis.  In 
1836,  the  first  humble  house  was  built;  and  during  the 
succeeding  eleven  years  but  four  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
persons  had  congregated  about  the  shores  of  the  Bay 
of  San  Francisco.  But  potent  agents  soon  awoke  the 
slumbering  nations  to  cross  deep  seas  and  arid  plains 
to  build  up  the  giant  city  of  the  Far  West.  The  starry 
ensign  of  the  new  nrtion  of  freedom  was  hoisted  in 
1846,  and  the  charmer,  gold,  was  discovered  in  1848. 

From  a  population  of  459  in  1847,  S^'*  Francisco  had 
swelled  to  34,776  in  1850.  In  i860,  the  city  had  56,862 
population;  and,  in  1870,  it  had  reached  149,473 — an 
increase  of  almost  1 66  per  cent,  in  ten  years ;  and  the 
increase  is  still  marked  by  indications  of  steady  and 
rapid  growth. 

The  population  of  the  city  is  about  one-quarter  of 


I 


^mmmmmm^ 


mm 


45« 


TJf£  GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  population  of  the  whole  iState,  and  has  grown  en- 
tirely out  of  proportion  to  the  population  of  the  country 
chiefly  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  the  great  distribut- 
ing point  of  all  the  merchandise  from  Mexico  to  Alaska, 
on  the  coast.  Now  that  the  continental  railroad  has 
opened  interior  avenues  of  supply,  and  the  overland 
railroad  building  from  Lake  Superior  to  Washington 
Territory  will  Ibnn  a  short  connecting  link  between 
the  Atlantic  seaboard  and  the  finest  harbor  in  America, 
inviting  the  commerce  of  Asia  to  the  new  port  of  the 
West,  Puget  sound,  some  division  of  San  Francisco's 
protracted  monopoly  of  commerce  may  ;"easonably  be 
expected. 

The  composition  of  the  population  of  San  Francisco 
presents  many  features  of  striking  interest:  perhaps 
no  other  city  of  importance  in  the  United  States  or  in 
any  other  part  of  the  world  contains  more  foreign  than 
native  voters.  The  registered  voters  of  the  city  in 
1870  aggregated  36,410,  of  whom  16,205  were  native 
and  20,205  were  adopted  citizens :  showing  4,000  more 
naturalized  than  native  citizen  voters  in  the  city.  Of 
the  voters  at  this  time  352  were  colored,  all  native. 

The  total  .population  was  composed  of  75,824  adult 
males,  61,577  adult  females,  23,722  males  under  fifteen 
years  of  age,  and  23,261  females  under  fifteen  years. 
Of  the  population,  18,346  males  and  18,219  females 
were  bot^  in  California ;  and  the  Chinese  population 
was  11,810,  of  whom  9,777  were  males  and  2,040  were 
fernales.  Of  the  males,  877  were  under  fifteen  years 
of  age,  and  271  females  were  under  fifteen;  of  the 
Chinese  residents,  189  males  and  131  females  were 
native-born  Californians.  The  colored  population  was 
1,094,  of  whom  626  were  males  and  468  were  females; 


SAN   FRANCISCO    DESTROYED    BY    FIRE,  DECEMBER   24,  1849;    MAY  4,  185O; 
MAY  4,  1851  ;    JUNE  22,  1 85 1. 


SAN    FRANCISCO    FROM   THE   BAY    IN    I847 


mmm 


^mwmiym!! 


SAAT  FRANCISCO. 


459 


of  the. colored  population,  95  males  and  84  females  were 
born  in  California. 

San  •  Francisco  is  the  tenth  city  in  population  in  the 
United  States,  being  surpassed  only  by  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  Brooklyn,  St.  Louis,  Chicago,  Baltimore, 
Boston,  Cincinnati,  and  Nc\v  Orleans.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  cosmopolitan  character  of  the  149,473  forming 
the  population  of  San  Francisco,  of  whom  75,754  were 
native  Americans  and  73,719  were  of  foreign  birth,  a 
complete  analysis  of  the  component  parts  in  1870  is 
here  given.  The  native-born  represented  the  republic 
as  follows:  Alabama,  347;  Arkansas,  35;  California, 
38,491 ;  Connecticut,  850;  Delaware,  149;  Florida,  30; 
Georgia,  97.;  Illinois,  756;  Indiana,  261;  Iowa,  175; 
Kansas,  13;  Kentucky,  447;  Louisiana,  851;  Maine, 
2,6.'5o;  Maryland,  876;  Massachusetts,  7,147;  Michi- 
gan, 305 ;  Minnesota,  73;  Mississippi,  119;  Missouri, 
664;  Nebraska,  11;  Nevada,  218;  New  Hampshire, 
750;  New  Jersey,  871;  New  York,  12,612;  North 
Carolina,  127;  Ohio,  1,116;  Oregon,  219;  Pennsylva- 
nia, 2,635;  I^hode  Island,  489;  South  Carolina,  195; 
Tennessee,  220;  Texas,  78;  Vermont,  661;  Virginia 
and  West  Virginia,  673 ;  Wisconsin,  346 ;  Alaska,  23 ; 
Arizona,  4;  Colorado,  i ;  District  of  Columbia,  231 ; 
Idaho,  1 1 ;  Indian  Territory,  i ;  Montana,  i ;  New 
Mexico,  4;  Utah,  21;  Washington,  72;  Wyoming,  2. 
The  foreign  population  represented  the  different  nations 
as  follows :  Africa,  25 ;  Asia,  20 ;  Adantic  islands,  1 64; 
Australasia,  914;  Australia,  (proper,)  476;  Belgium,  139; 
Bohemia,  43;  Canada,  1,154;  New  Brunswick,  401; 
Newfoundland,  39 ;  Nova  Scotia,  437 ;  Prince  Edward 
island,  44 ;  British  America,  (not  specified,)  290 1  Celti* 
tral  America,  44;  Cuba,  28;  Denmark,  593;  France, 


46o. 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


3,547;  Baden,  789;  Bavaria,  1,101;  Brunswick,  izi ; 
Hamburg,  610;  Hanover,  1,182;  Hesse,  684;  Lubeck, 
5;  Mecklenburg,  42 ;  Nassau,  24;  Oldenburg,  56; 
Prussia,  7,578;  Saxony,  318;  Wurtemberg,  598;  Ger- 
many, (not  specified,)  594 — (total,  Germany,  1 3,602  ;) 
Gibraltar,  i;  England,  5,172;  Ireland,  25,864;  Scot- 
land, 1,687;  Wales,  247 — (total  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  32,998;)  Greece,  27;  Holland,  190;  Hungary, 
61;  India,  17;  Italy,  1,622;  Malta,  2;  Mexico,  1,220; 
Norway,  390;  Pacific  islands,  57;  Poland,  517;  Portu- 
gal, 199;  Russia,  281 ;  Sandwich  islands,  51 ;  South 
America,  418;  Spain,  119;  Sweden,  780;  Switzerland, 
775  ;  Turkey,  7,  the  West  Indies,  207;  China,  11,711 ; 
and  Japan,  8. 

In  the  public  schools  of  the  city  there  were  23,552 
pupils;  of  whom  11,796  were  boys  and  11,756  were 
girls:  in  one  school  building  alone  1,150  boys  were  in 
attendance.  Notwithstanding,  there  were  5,667  adults 
in  the  city  who  could  not  read  or  write.  It  must,  how- 
ever, inspire  the  friends  of  republican  America  to  know 
that  but  nine  of  these  illiterates  were  native-born 
Americans,  only  two  of  whom  were  women.  At  the 
head  of  the  list  of  the  unlettered  stands  Ireland,  with 
4,885;  then  follows  Italy,  with  258;  Mexico,  283;  Chili, 
44;  West  Indies,  73;  England,  29;  Poland,  33;  Portu- 
gal, 23;  and  40  negroes.  The  Chinese  are  not  found 
in  these  numbers  of  uneducated,  as  all  Chinese  read 
and  write  their  own  language. 

The  federal  census  of  1850  gave  the  population  of 
California  at  92,597;  of  whoni  70,340  were  native, 
21,802  were  foreign,  and  455  unknown.  In  i860,  it 
was  379,994,  there  being  233,466  natives  and  146,528 
foreigners.    The  population  of  1870  was  560,247;  of 


SA^  FRANCISCO. 


461 


whom  350,416  were  native  American  and  209,831  were 
of  foreign  birth.  Of  the  native  population,  323,507 
were  the  offspring  of  foreign  parents  in  full  or  in  part, 
and  295,723  were  of  foreign  father  and  mother.  It 
will  be  seen  that  in  the  whole  population  of  the  State 
there  are  but  140,585  more  native  than  foreign  born: 
this  is  the  largest  proportion  of  foreign  population  in 
any  State  in  the  Union.  Wisconsin  comes  next  to 
California,  with  690,320  native  and  304,845  foreign  pop- 
ulation. The  smallest  proportion  of  foreigners  in  any 
State  is  found  in  North  Carolina,  which,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  1,071,361,  had  but  3,029  foreign  residents 
according  to  the  last  federal  census. 

The  Chinese  population  of  California  in  1870  was 
49,277,  and  the  colored  population  4,272.*  There  were 
also  33  Japanese  in  the  State.  How  surely  the  mod- 
em civilization  of  the  white  man  exterminates  his  red 
brethren  may  be  understood  from  the  fact  that,  in  i860, 
the  Indian  population  of  California  was  1 7,798,  whereas, 
in  1870,  it  was  but  7,241.  Verily  the  hatchet  of  the 
red  man  is  buried  in  the  West,  but  with  it  the  hand 
that  once  so  fiercely  wielded  it. 

The  evidence  of  the  material  growth  of  the  com- 
mercial and  social  affairs  of  California,  and  its  city  by 
the  sea  occupying  the  site  of  the  recent  little  Spanish 
village  of  Verba  Buena,  to  be  realized  must  be  seen, 
studied,  and  known,  as  represented  in  the  material  de- 
velopment of  San  Francisco,  whose'  elegant  hotels, 
dwellings,  stores,  schools,  theatres,  libraries,  halls,  mar- 
kets, buildings,  and  streets  so  delight  and  surprise  is- 
itors;  and  the  social,  intellectual,  and  moral  status  of  the 
people  gathered  by  intercourse  and  study  of  its  digni- 
fied judges,  able  lawyers,  shrewd  merchants,  keen  specu- 


punppp 


463 


TUB  GOLDEN  STATE, 


lators,  industrious  mechanics,  celebrated  artists,  eloquent 
orators,  terse  writers,  unscrupulous  politicians,  pious 
preachers,  charitable  people,  and  animated  youth. 

San  Francisco  fairly  represents  the  social  and  mate- 
rial condition  of  the  people  of  the  whole  State.  Here 
may  yet  be  found,  as  well  as  the  more  nlodern  institu- 
tions, traces  of  the  earlier  society  developed  under  the 
stimulus  of  gold  and  remoteness  from  the  centres  of 
civilization.  Every  thing  that  can  be  seen  in  any  large 
city  in  the  world  is  met  with  in  San  Francisco,  and  a 
great  many  things  entirely  unknown  elsewhere  may  be 
seen  in  the  metropolis  of  the  Golden  State.  With  the 
industrious,  virtuous,,  and  honest  may  be  found  the 
most  singular  developments  of  animal  life.  They  came 
across  deep  seas  and  over  arid  plains — the  sober,  in- 
dustrious, lively,  happy,  talkative,  prosperous,  ambi- 
tious, pious,  charitable,  noble,  and  generous,  and  the 
idle,  vain,  silly,  stupid,  shrewd,  dull,  cunning,  profane, 
eccentric,  reckless,  morose,  solitary,  stolid,  miserly, 
bigoted,  slandering,  sly,  deceptive,  and  pilfering;  here 
the  loafer,  the  dandy,  and  the  man  with  his  organ  and 
monkey  are  to  be  seen,  as  in  every  other  city  in  the 
world;  besides  a  large  class  of  beings  whose  origin  and 
history,  beginning  in  distant  parts  of  the  globe,  under 
the  sky  of  republican  freedom  or  the  dome  of  mon- 
archal tyranny,  bud  forth  in  fruitful  intensity  in  the 
freedoms  of  die  newest  societies  of  the  new  world. 

It  must  also  be  admitted  that  the  staid  order  of  older 
communities,  in  wealth  and  society,  has  not  been  easily 
maintained  in  a  land  where  a  day's  development  in  a 
mine,  a  turn  in  stocks,  or  manipulation  of  a  Spanish 
grant,  may  elevate  to  sodal  and  financial  greatness  the 
veriest  clown,  or  sink  into  complete  obscurity  the 


'€i: 


CUSTOM    HOUSE,  ON   THE  PLAZA.      RENT  $7,000  A   MONTH    IN    1849. 


POST  OFFICE,  CORNER   OF  CLAY   AND   PIKE   STREETS,  SAN   FRANCISCO    1 849. 


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SAN  FRANCISCO. 


463 


noblest  of  the  race.  Gold  everywhere  has  its  ac- 
knowledged dignity  and  power  in  the  affairs  of  man- 
kind, and  in  no  part  of  the  globe  has  the  tricks,  fickle 
gildings,  and  strange  metamorphoses  of  this  tyrant 
been  more  felt  than  in  the  ne.v  communities  of  the 
Pacific  coast. 

The  feverish  excitement  of  the  early  days  of  gold- 
mining  in  California  have,  to  great  extent,  passed  away. 
The  cool  brow  and  steady  hand  of  agriculture  silently 
lift  the  laurels  of  peace  and  plenty  over  the  deserted 
camp  of  the  early  gold-hunter ;  roving  bands  of  bearded 
pilgrims  have  settled  down  to  ordered  employments 
and  new  social  life  as  the  heads  of  happy  families, 
blessed  with  the  smiles  of  innocent  youth;  the  noisy 
din  of  the  early  mining-camp  is  turned  to  social  order, 
where  the  gentle  influence  of  woman  and  the  wise 
counsels  of  man  mould  a  new  order  in  the  directions 
of  purity  and  progress. 

In  California,  the  easy,  genial  sociability  of  the  people 
must  not  be  confounded  with  gross  and  vulgar  fatnil- 
iarity;  on  the  contrary,  a  more  polite,  courteous,  and 
dignified  people  are  not  to  be  found  in  America.  As 
a  rule,  individuality  asserts  \Xr  dominion  with  greater 
ease  and  less  display  than  in  any  other  land.  The  dig- 
nity of  labor  has  here  raised  higher  its  monument  than 
elsewhere.  Architects  from  every  hemisphere  have 
added  to  its  column  ;  and  toilers  from  every  sphere  of 
life  have  placed  a  stone  in  its  concrete  structure  and 
bowed  before  its  majesty. 

In  San  Francisco,  and  in  every  town  throughout  the 
Pacific  coast,  order,  law,  safety  of  person  and  property 
are  established  and  maintained ;  and  ample  facilities 
for  the  enjoyment  of  life,  cultivation  of  the  intellect,  and 


464 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


religious  worship  afforded.  The  population  is  as  firmly 
rooted  to  the  soil  as  is  the  people  of  any  part  of  the 
globe ;  and  the  institutions  of  the  country  are  founded 
upon  broad,  comprehensive,  and  equitable  principles, 
shorn  of  the  narrow  proscriptions  of  bigots  and  fanatics, 
so  often  found  in  many  of  the  older  settled  parts  of  the 
world.  The  recognized  elements  of  regulated  society 
have,  in  every  section  of  the  coast,  usurped  the  disor- 
dered and  unsettled  customs  of  earlier  periods,  and  the 
new  societies  of  to-day  count  in  their  composition  a 
vast  number  of  the  most  thoughtful  and  progressive 
people  of  the  republic.  Every  town  and  village  on  the 
Pacific  coast  has  now  its  churches,  schools,  libraries, 
newspapers,  societies,  and  active,  intelligent  men  and 
women:  persons  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  necessity 
of  utilizing  the  material  of  youth  to  the  growing  im- 
portance of  the  age. 

Whoever  doubts  the  intelligence  of  the  people  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  let  him  turn  to  the  chapters  on  education 
and  schools  in  this  volume;  let  him  also  see  the  circula- 
tion of  newspapers,  and  know  that  in  its  newspaper  press 
California  is  at  the  head  of  every  community  in  the 
world.  No  part  of  progressive  New  England  nor  of 
America  issues  from  the  newspaper  press,  in  proportion 
to  population,  as  does  the  Golden  State.  California, 
with  her  population  of  but  560,247,  a  large  percentage 
of  whom  do  not  read  the  English  language,  (Chinese,) 
maintains  233  newspapers  and  periodicals,  40  of  which 
are  dailies  ami  183  weekly  and  otiif  r  j»ublications. 

New  York,  with  a  population  of  4,382,759,  eight  times 
that  of  California,  issues  but  O57  papera  of  all  classes, 
89  only  of  which  are  dally;  whfcf^fts  if  fliis  Stalf  main- 
tained a  newspaper  press  equa)  ^0  i\m\  al  Cali/oniJa,  in 


.  Sti  :£^i.^  i^lBi.. 


SAN  FRANCISCO. 


465 


proportion  to  her  population,  it  would  be  1,820  instead 
of  657. 

Massachusetts,  with  a  population  of  1,457,351,  and 
the  accumulated  learning  of  centuries,  has  but  186 
newspapers,  only  21  of  which  are  daily,  while  Cali- 
fornia has  40  of  this  latter  class.  It  will  be  seen  that 
even  Massachusetts  is  far  behind  California,  maintain- 
ing only  a  little  over  one-fourth  as  many  newspapers 
as  the  .latter  in  proportion  to  her  population. 

The  State  of  Maine,  with  a  populatioii  as  large  as 
that  of  California,  has  but  54  newspapers,  only  six  of 
which  are  daily,  against  40  dailies  in  California. 

There  are  only  two  States  in  the  whole  Union  hav- 
ing more  daily  newspapers  than  California:  New  \  ork, 
with  89,  and  Pennsylvania,  v/ith  61;  while  California  has 
40.  The!  Golden  State  stands  fifth  in  the  list  of  all  the 
States  in  the  aggregated  number  of  newspapers,  as  fol- 
lows :  New  York,  657;  Pennsylvania,  .171 ;  Illinois,  409 ; 
Ohio,  331 ;  California,  223.  Delaware,  w ith  one-quarter 
the  population  of  California,  has  but  ojie  daily  newspaper; 
and  Florida,  with  one-third,  has  but  the  same — a  soli- 
tary daily  paper.  The  whole  number  of  newspapers 
published  on  the  Pacific  coast  is  305,  of  which  Cali- 
fornia has  223,  there  being  88  of  every  description  in 
the  city  of  San  Francisco  alone ;  the  remainder  being 
divided  as  follows:  Oregon,  32;  Nevada,  12;  Wash- 
ington Territory,  1 5  ;  Idaho,  6 ;  Utah,  9  ;  Arizona,  2  ; 
Alaska,  i  ;  and  British  Columbia,  5. 

California  has  a  newspaper  for  every  2,500  of  her 

people.     The  aggregate  number  of  newspapers  in  the 

republic  is  6,100,  and  the  population  38,555,983;  this 

is  but  one  paper  to  each  7,000,  and  if  the  number 

throughout  the  Union  was  in  proportion  to  the  number 
30 


^^PPipi^H^ 


466 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


in  California,  instead  of  6,100  newspapers  there  would 
be  1 6,400  in  the  country. 


Marin. — Directly  north  of  the  county  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  divided  from  it  by  the  Golden  Gate  and  the 
waters  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  is  Marin  county, 
with  an  area  of  five  hundred  and  seventy  square  miles. 
The  surface  is  rugged  hills,  alternating  with  numerous 
small  valleys;  the  hills  in  some  places  are  well  wooded, 
and  there  are  innumerable  springs  and  creeks.  As  a 
grazing  field  it  is  unsurpassed;  wild  oats  and  native 
grasses  grow  luxuriantly,  and  the  rains  of  winter  and 
fogs  of  summer  keep  a  large  part  of  the  county  a  field 
of  perpetua^.  verdure.  The  largest  and  most  complete 
dairies  in  the  world  are  in  this  county,  at  one  of  which 
2,500  milch  cows  are  kept.  The  total  number  of  cat- 
tle in  the  county  is  25,000:  of  this  number  17,000  are 
milch  cows;  and  although  there  are  230,000  milch 
cows  in  the  State,  yet  Marin  count)^  with  1 7,000,  pro- 
duces 1, 800,000  pounds  of  butter,  or  more  than  one- 
third  of  the  whole  annual  product  of  the  State.  There 
are  also  400,000  pounds  of  cheese  made  in  the  county 
annually,  and  varied  branches  of  agriculture  and  fruit- 
growing are  prosecuted.  The  climate  is  perpetual 
summer ;  the  temperature  varies  but  little  from  sixty- 
five  degrees  the  whole  year,  and  the  heat  of  summer  is 
never  felt.  Marin  county  is  bounded  upon  the  west  by 
the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Sonomai  east  by  San  Pablo 
and  San  Francisco  bays,  and  south  by  the  Golden  Gate. 
Olema,  Bolinas,  San  Quentin,  Saucelito,  and  San 
Rafael  are  the  principal  towns.  The  population  of  the 
county  is  6,903 ;  of  whom  3,761  are  native  American 
and  3,142  of  foreign  birth.    The  population  of  San 


pp 


COAST  COUNTIES.  467 

Rafael,  the  county-seat,  is  831.  Paper  and  powder  are 
manufactured  in  the  county,  and  at  the  town  of  San 
Quentin  is  located  the  State  prison.  No  minerals  of 
any  description  have  yet  been  discovered  in  Marin 
county. 


Sonoma. — North  of  Marin  county,  bounded  upon 
the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Mendocino, 
northeast  and  east  by  Lake  and  Napa,  and  south  by 
Marin,  is  the  county  of  Sonoma,  containing  1,400  square 
miles — 94  square  miles  more  than  the  State  of  Phode 
Island.  The  population  of  the  county  is  19,819;  '^f 
whom  15,656  are  native  born  and  4,163  are  of  foreign 
birth.  Santa  Rosa,  the  county-seat,  has  a  copulation 
of  2,901.  This  county  is  accessible  by  water  from  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  upon  the  ocean  from  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific.  The  county  is  diversified  with 
roiling  hills  and  rich  valleys;  considerabje  oak.  cedar, 
madrona,  and  other  trees  grow.  The  soil  is  rich  be- 
yond comparison,  and  the  country  generally  is  one  of 
the  most  lovely  spots  in  the  world.  Upon  the  sea-coast 
the  summer  is  cool,  but  in  the  southern  and  central 
portions  it  is  warm ;  nothing  can  surpass  the  bright, 
sunny  days  o^  summer  in  this  charming  section.  Agri- 
culture is  the  chief  business  of  the  people,  and  the 
grape  attains  great  perfection  and  is  cultivated  exten- 
sivelv.  The  oringe  and  tig  grow  well.  In  the  produc- 
tion of  grapes  and  wine,  Sonoma  is  surpassetl  in  the 
State  only  by  the  county  of  Los  Angeles.  1  he  num- 
ber of  grape-vines  in  the  countv  is  3,500,000.  Large 
tmantities  of  grapes  reach  the  San  Francisco  market 
iroBi  tins  section,  and  there  are  500,iXX)  gallons  of  wine 


^IRJi^'» 


468  THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 

and  10,000  gallons  of  brandy  produced  in  the  county 
annually.  Sonoma  is  surpassed  only  by  one  county  in 
the  State  in  producing  apples,  and  is  third  in  the  pro- 
duction of  peaches  and  plums.  It  has  the  largest  area 
of  land  enclosed  (460,000  acres)  and  the  largest  num- 
ber of  acres  cultivated  (250,000)  of  any  county  in  the 
State, 

There  are  1,900,000  bushels  of  wheat,  325,000  bushels 
of  barley,  100,200  bushels  of  corn,  300,000  bushels  of 
oats,  270,000  bushels  of  potatoes,  160,000  pounds  of 
wool,  250,000  pounds  of  cheese,  and  650,000  pounds  of 
butter  produced  in  the  county  annually.  There  are  in 
the  county  53,000  sheep,  14,000  horses,  and  40,000  cat- 
tle; eight  grist-mills  and  sixteen  saw-mills.  There  are 
but  four  counties  in  the  State  having  a  larger  value  of 
real  and  personal  property.  Copper  and  quicksilver 
have  been  found  In  Sonoma,  but  not  in  any  great  quan- 
tity ;  no  mines  of  gold  or  silver  have  yet  been  worked. 
The  celebrated  Geysers  and  hot  and  numerous  sulphur 
sprlh^s  are  in  this  county.  Sonoma  is  one  of  the  most 
lovely^'and  most  prosperous  sections  of  California. 
Petaluma,  Sonoma,  Santa  Rosa,  Healdsburg,  Bodega, 
and  Cloverdale  are  the  principal  towns. 

MENrociNO. — On  the  sea-coast,  bounded  west  by  the 
Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Humboldt  and  Trinity  counties, 
east  by  Tehama,  Colusa,  and  Lake,  and  south  by  So- 
noma and  Lake,  is  the  county  of  Mendocino,  with  an 
area  of  3,816  square  miles — three  times  the  area  of 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island — and  a  population  of  7,545: 
there  being  6,147  native  Americans  and  1,398  of  foreign 
birth. 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


469 


The  surface  of  the  county  is  rough,  and  the  hills 
covered  with  dense  forests  of  redwood,  cedar,  fir,  and 
many  other  varieties ;  as  a  grazing  region  it  is  unsur- 
passed, and  large  areas  of  the  best  description  of  agri- 
cultural lands  still  remain  unoccupied.  Lumbering  and 
stock-raising  are  carried  on  to  considerable  extent. 
The  county  is  well  watered,  but  there  is  no  harbor  of 
magnitude  on  the  coast.  Albjon,  Mendocino,  Punta 
Arenas,  and  Ukiah  are  the  chief  towns :  the  latter,  with 
a  population  of  965,  is  the  county-seat. 

There  are  200,000  acres  of  land  enclosed  and  84,000 
acres  cultivated;  and  200,000  bushels  of  wheat,  300,000^ 
bushels  of  barley,  20,000  bushels  of  com,  1 5,000  bushels 
of  peas,  500,000  bushels  of  potatoes,  200,000  pounds 
of  hops,  1 50,000  pounds  of  butter,  and  300,000  pounds 
of  wool  produced  annually.  There  are  in  the  county 
five  grist-mills,  tweniy  saw-mills ;  10,000  horses,  3,500 
mules,  (the  largest  number  of  the  latter  in  any  county 
in  the  State,)  30,000  cattle,  25,000  hogs,  and  200,000 
sheep ;  Los  Angeles  county  only  surpassing  it  in  the 
latter.  No  mines  of  importance  have  yet  been  dis- 
covered. 

In  winter  the  climate  is  several  degrees  colder  than 
at  San  Francisco,  and  but  few  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits 
grow  well ;  but  the  grape  and  many  varieties  of  A-uit 
thrive  well;  and  the  climate  generally  is  warm  and  de- 
lightful. The  fogs  from  the  ocean  during  summer  keep 
the  grass  green,  and  as  a  grazing  county  Mendocino  is 
unsurpassed  in  the  State. 


Humboldt. — Bounded  west  by  the   Pacific   ocean, 
nortli  by  Klamath,  east  by  Trinity,  and  south  by  Men- 


^^^f 


470 


r^£  GOLDEN  STATE. 


dodno,  is  Humboldt  county,  with  an  area  of  2,800  square 
miles — 580  square  miles  larger  than  the  State  of  Dela- 
ware— ^and  with  a  population  of  6,140;  of  whom  4,646 
are  native  Americans  and  1,494  ^^^  ^^  foreign  birth. 
Eureka  is  the  county-seat  The  surface  of  the  country 
is  rugged ;  the  hills  are  clad  with  dense  forests  of  red- 
wood and  fir ;  the  pasture  ranges  are  wide  and  excellent, 
and  there  are  many  rich  and  fertile  valleys  in  which  the 
various  branches  of  agriculture  are  carried  on  most 
successfully.  Lumbering,  grazing,  and  farming  are  all 
carried  on  to  considerable  extent.  No  mines  of  impor- 
tance have  yet  been  found.  Rivers  and  creeks  of  great 
volume  and  purity  water  this  section,  and  Humboldt 
bay  affords  an  entrance  to  ships  of  large  size.  The 
soil  is  most  productive,  and  nearly  all  the  grains,  fruits, 
and  vegetables  grow  well.  The  county  is  celebrated 
for  its  yield  of  potatoes :  640,000  bushels  (the  largest 
quantity  grown  in  any  county  in  the  State)  are  pro- 
duced annually.  Peas  grow  well:  70,000  bushels 
(more  than  half  the  product  of  the  State)  are  grown  in 
this  county.  It  is  also  the  third  county  in  the  produc- 
tion of  oats.  Dairying,  stock-raising,  agriculture,  and 
lumbering  are  all  carried  on  extensively ;  but  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  grape  and  the  semi-tropical  fruits  of 
the  southern  portion  of  the  State  has  not  been  much 
prosecuted.  The  climate  like  that  of  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  State  is  perpetual  summer;  snow  falling 
only  upon  the  high  mountains,  while  the  valleys  below 
are  perpetual  verdure.  Summer  heats  are  never  op- 
pressive, the  cool  breeze  off  the  ocean  keeping  the 
temperature  even,  and  the  fogs  and  damps  keeping 
vegetation  green.     Railroads  building  from  the  soutli- 


w 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


471 


ern  portion  of  the  State,  soon  to  connect  this  section  by 
rail  with  San  Francisco,  will  develop  the  great  natural 
resources  of  this  section. 


Klamath.— North  of  Humboldt  county,  and  bounded 
upon  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean,  north  by  Del  Norte, 
east  by  Siskiyou,  and  south  by  Humboldt,  is  Klamath 
county,  with  an  area  of  two  thousand  square  miles,  and 
a  population  of  i,686.  It  is  the  only  county  but  one  in 
the  State  having  more  foreign  than  native  inhabitants, 
there  being  893  of  the  former  and  793  of  the  latter. 
The  country  is  mountainous  in  the  extreme ;  the  hills  are 
covered  with  dense  forests  of  valuable  timber,  and  the 
valleys  with  luxuriant  grass.  There  are  many  rich  val- 
leys ;  and  mines  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  other  metals 
are  worked  successfully.  Upon  the  ocean-beach  the 
sands  are  washed  for  gold,  and  in  some  places  pay  well : 
each  rise  of  the  tide  and  each  surge  of  the  sea  brings  up 
new  grains  of  gold,  so  that  the  work  of  extracting  the 
precious  metal  from  the  sands  goes  on  continuously. 
There  is  no  good  harbor  on  the  coast  line  of  this 
county.  Trinidad  bay  affords  some  shelter  and  good 
anchorage.  The  county  is  well  watered;  but,  owing 
to  its  mountainous  character  and  its  remoteness  and 
want  of  means  of  transportation,  its  resources  are  but 
little  developed.  Orleans  Bar,  a  small  mining-camp,  is 
the  county-seat  Sawyers  Bar  and  Trinidad  are  the 
only  other  places  of  any  importance  in  the  county.  The 
climate  is  good :  in  winter,  considerable  depth  of  snow 
falls  in  the  mountains,  but  the  valleys  are  open  and 
cattle  graze  at  large  throughout  the  whole  year.  The 
rainfall  is  tliree  times  as  great  on  the  coast  of  this 


ii 


472 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


county  as  it  is  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco.  Snow 
in  the  mountains  and  rain  in  the  valleys  make  up  win- 
ter, while  summer  is  long,  dry,  and  charming.  Wheat, 
oats,  barley,  vegetables,  and  most  of  the  fruits  grow 
abundandy. 

Del  Norte. — Bounded  west  by  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific  ocean,  north  by  the  Oregon  State  line,  east  by 
Siskiyou,  and  south  by  Klamath,  is  the  county  of  Del 
Norte,  the  most  northern  county  in  the  State,  and  the 
last  upon  the  sea-coast  line  or  coast  counties.  The  area 
of  this  county  is  1,440  square  miles — 134  square  miles 
greater  than  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  The  popula- 
tion of  Del  Norte  is  2,022,  there  being  1,580  native 
Americans  and  442  foreigners.  The  principal  towns 
are  Altaville,  Happy  Camp,  and  the  county-seat,  Crescent 
City.  Close  to  the  ocean  at  this  point  steamers  and 
vessels  find  anchorage,  but  there  is  no  harbor  of  safety. 
The  rainfall  in  this  county  is  three  times  as  great  as  at 
San  Francisco ;  snow  falls  in  the  mountains  to  consider- 
able depth  in  v/inter,  and  frost  is  keenly  felt,  but  the 
cold  weather  is  of  short  duration,  and  in  the  valleys 
pasturage  is  green,  and  sheep,  cows,  and  horses  graze 
at  large  during  the  whole  year.  Along  the  sea-coast 
the  daipps  from  the  ocean  keep  the  air  cool  in  summer, 
but  inland  it  is  warm  during  the  summer  months.  The 
surface  of  the  country  is  rough;  the  hills  and  moun- 
tains are  covered  with  dense  forests  and  undergrowth. 
Throughout  the  county  there  are  many  rich  valleys 
and  wide  pasture-ranges.  Mines  of  gold,  silver,  copper, 
and  other  minerals  are  found,  and  mining  is  carried  on 
to  considerable  extent,  there  being  many  rich  gold 


mmm 


COAST  COUNTIES. 


473 


quartz  mines  in  this  section.  On  the  ocean-beach  the 
sands  are  washed  for  gold,  in  many  instances  with 
profit:  the  agitation  of  the  waves  at  each  storm  seems 
to  throw  up  new  deposits  of  gold-dust,  affording  a  con- 
tinuous field  for  the  labor  of  the  miner. 

The  county  is  well  suited  to  the  various  branches  of 
agriculture.  Wheat,  oats,  barley,  and  fruit  grow  well ; 
and  even  in  this  extreme  northern  section  of  the  State 
the  grape,  lemon,  fig,  walnut,  and  orange  are  cultivated, 
althou';h  the  semi-tropical  fruits,  so  far,  are  not  grown 
to  any  extent,  and  do  not  thrive  so  well  as  farther 
south;  indeed,  none  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow  to 
any  extent  in  this  section. 


^■■1 


wm 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


145 

m 

si? 

,^6  3 
lii 

IS. 


IIIIIM 

IIIIM 
IliU 


122 
2.0 

1.8 


1.25      1.4       1 6 

■m 6"     

► 

v: 


^ 


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474 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

Interior  and  valley  counties — Resources,  climate,  and  population — 

Siskiyou — Trinity — Shasta — Tehama — Butte — Colusa — Yuba — 

Sutter — Yolo — Lake — Napa — Solano — Sacramento — Contra  Cos- 

a — Alameda — San  Joaquin — Stanislaus — Santa  Clara — Merced — 

Fresno — Tulare — Kern — San  Bernardino. 


< 


Leaving  the  coast  range  of  counties,  and  going  inte- 
rlorward,  adjoining  the  southern  Oregon  State  line,  is 
found  a  range  of  counties  embracing,  in  the  northern 
portion,  a  high  mountainous  region,  and,  extending 
southward,  occupy  a  large  section  of  the  foot-hills  of 
the  Sierras,  and  still  further  south  embrace  the  great 
valleys  and  agricultural  districts  of  the  State.  A  great 
variety  of  climate  and  resources  is  found  in  this  chain 
of  counties,  stretching  from  Oregon  to  Mexico,  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  hundred  miles.  In  the  section  of  these 
counties  in  the  Sierras  snow  falls  to  a  great  depth,  and 
winter  wears  a  stern  frown  for  three  months  of  the  year, 
while  through  the  central  and  southern  portions  snow 
is  never  seen,  and  toward  the  Mexican  line  it  is  tropi- 
cal, and  great  heat  and  drought  prevail  throughout  the 
long,  dry  summers.  To  distinguish  these  counties  from 
the  others  in  the  State,  they  are  known  as  the 

INTERIOR  AND  VALLEY   COUNTIES, 

The  first  of  which,  beginning  at  the  Oregon  State  line, 
and  facing  southward,  is 

Siskiyou — Bounded  north  by  the  southern  State  line 
of  Oregon,  east  by  the  State  of  Nevada,  south  by  Las- 
sen, Shasta,  and  Trinity  counties,  and  west  by  the  coun- 


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INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


475 


ties  of  Klamath  and  Del  Norte.  This  is  one  of  the 
largest  counties  in  the  State,  having  an  area  of  8,740 
square  miles — equal  in  extent  to  the  combined  area  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Wurtemberg,  the  Duchy  of  Anhalt, 
and  the  Principality  of  Lichtenstein,  and  within  a  frac- 
tion of  the  size  of  the  territory  of  the  States  of  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts  combined. 

The  population  of  Siskiyou  county  is  6,848 ;  of  whom 
4,321  are  native  American  and  2,527  are  of  foreign 
birth.  The  face  of  the  country  is  a  succession  of 
mountains,  valleys,  forests,  lakes,  and  rivers.  There 
are  many  large  and  rich  valleys,  yielding  most  abun- 
dantly of  wheat,  oats,  barley,  potatoes,  fruits,  and  berries; 
and  several  large  lakes  and  rivers  supply  the  county 
with  water,  and  large  areas  of  pasture  range  making 
it  a  superior  location  for  stock-raising.  The  mountains 
are  high,  and,  in  winter,  covered  with  great  depth  of 
snow.  The  famous  Mount  Shasta,  14,440  feet  above 
the  sea-level,  is  in  this  county. 

Mines  of  gold,  in  placer  and  quartz,  are  worked  with 
profit,  and  mines  of  great  richness  are  in  course  of  de- 
velopment. The  resources  of  the  county  are  varied; 
and  consist  of  agriculture,  fruit-growing,  lumber,  grazing, 
and  mining. 

The  climate  is  colder  in  winter  than  in  any  other  sec- 
tion of  the  State,  but  never  so  cold  that  horses,  sheep, 
and  cattle  cannot  pasture  in  the  valleys  throughout  the 
whole  year.  Summer  is  delightful  in  this  region,  and 
in  some  sections  it  is  quite  warm;  but  altogether  the 
climate  is  mild  and  beautiful.  A  line  of  railroad,  in- 
tended to  run  from  the  Sacramento  valley  to  Oregon, 
will  pass  through  this  county,  and  will  greatly  develop 
its  varied  resources.     There  are  no  cities  or  towns  of 


hi 


U    !.i 


476 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


any  importance  in  Siskiyou.     Yreka   is   the  county- 
seat. 

Turning  southward  from  Siskiyou,  a  description  of 
all  the  counties  embraced  between  the  coast  tier  and 
the  range  along  the  Sierras,  embracing  mountain,  valley, 
and  "bay  counties,"  and  representing  the  great  agricul- 
tural centre  of  the  State,  will  be  here  given. 


Trinity. — Bounded  upon  the  north  by  Klamath  and 
Siskiyou,  east  by  Shasta  and  Tehama,  south  by  Mendo- 
cino, and  west  by  Humboldt,  is  Trinity  county,  with  an 
area  of  i,8oo  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  3,213, 
consisting  of  1,397  native  Americans  and  1,816  for- 
eigners. This  county  is  known  as  a  "mountain  county;" 
its  surface  is  rugged  in  the  extreme.  The  mountains 
are  clad  in  forests  of  oak,  fir,  and  pine,  and  there  are 
many  beautiful  and  fertile  valleys,  and  the  county  is 
well  watered.  Snow  falls  to  considerable  depth  in 
winter,  but  cattle  graze  ac  large  throughout  the  year. 
Placer  and  quartz  mining  are  carried  on  to  a  consider- 
able extent.  The  resources  of  the  county  are  mining, 
grazing,  farming,  fruit-growing,  and  lumbering.  Rain 
falls  to  a  very  great  extent  in  winter;  summer  is  mild, 
but  warm.  Wheat,  barley,  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  and 
fruit  grow  well,  and  the  grape,  lemon,  fig,  and  mul- 
berry all  grow  in  this  section,  but  not  so  well  as  farther 
south. 

There  are  but  few  towns  of  any  importance  in  the 
county.  Weaverville  is  the  county-seat.  The  mines 
in  this  section,  so  far  as  worked,  are  river,  surface,  and 
bank.  The  greatest  quantity  of  water  used  for  mining 
purposes  in  any  county  in  the  State  is  used  in  Trinity. 
The  principal  mining  in  the  county  is  done  by  Chinese 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


477 


large  numbers  of  whom  worked  the  surface-mines  long 
since  abandoned  by  the  whites. 

Shasta. — Bounded  north  by  Siskiyou,  east  by  Lassen, 
south  by  Tehama,  and  west  by  Trinity,  Is  the  county  of 
Shasta,  with  an  area  of  4,500  square  miles,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  4,173,  divided  between  2,937  native  Americans 
and  1,236  foreigners.  This  county  Is  within  a  fraction 
of  the  size  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and  is  more 
than  three  times  as  large  as  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  equal  to  the  whole  Papal  States.  The  surface  is  a 
succession  of  rugged  mountains,  deep  ravines,  and 
beautiful  valleys.  Mining,  agriculture,  grazing,  fruit- 
growing, and  lumbering  are  the  chief  resources  of  the 
county.  There  are  more  than  one  and  a-half  million 
grape-vines  in  the  county,  and  the  lemon,  fig,  and  other 
fruits  grow  well.  It  is  the  best-watered  section  in  the 
State.  The  head-waters  of  the  Sacramento  and  Innu- 
merable other  streams  send  out  their  branches  in  all 
directions  through  this  county. 

The  climate  of  Shasta  county  is  charming.  In  winter 
snow  falls  to  a  considerable  depth  In  the  mountains, 
and  the  weather  Is  cold,  but  cattle  graze  upon  the 
valleys  aiid  hill-sides  throughout  the  year.  The  heat 
of  summer  is  not  intense,  and  the  weather,  generally, 
is  delightful.  But  few  towns  of  importance  have  yet 
grown  In  this  county.  Shasta  Is  the  county-seat.  Coal 
and  iron,  as  well  as  the  precious  metals,  are  found. 
The  railroad  building  from  the  Sacramento  valley  to  the 
State  of  Oregon  will  pass  through  this  region,  and  will 
aid  in  developing  its  varied  resources. 

Tehama. — Approaching  the  valley  of  the  Sacra- 
mento, and  at  the  head  navigable  waters  of  the  Sacra- 


'I 


in" 


•S    J'         1 


478 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


mento  river,  is  the  county  of  Tehama,  embracing  an 
area  of  2,800  square  miles,  and  having  a  population  of 
3,587;  of  whom  2,834  are  native  Americans  and  753 
are  of  foreign  birth.  This  county  is  more  than  double 
the  size  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  has  a  great 
variety  of  resources — placer  mines  of  gold,  rich  agri- 
cultural lands,  grazing  ranges,  and  forests  of  valuable 
trees.  Portions  of  the  country  are  rugged,  but  there 
are  large  and  beautiful  valleys  of  most  rich  and  pro- 
ductive soil,  yielding  grain,  yegetables,  and  fruits  of 
every  variety.  Farming  is  pursued  with  great  energy 
and  profit.  The  railroad  connecting  California  and 
Oregon  passes  through  this  county.  The  climate  is 
mild;  snow  sometimes  falls  upon  the  mountains,  but 
the  face  of  the  country  in  winter  is  perpetual  verdure. 
The  grape  and  most  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow 
well.  The  rainfall  is  considerable  in  winter.  During 
a  part  of  summer  the  weather  is  very  warm.  The 
Sacramento  river  passes  through  the  county,  and  is 
navigable  to  Red  Bluff,  the  county-seat,  a  town  of  920 
inhabitants.  The  town  of  Tehama  has  a  population  of 
only  1 63,  and  so  far  there  is  no  city  of  importance  in 
the  county  of  Tehama. 

In  the  northern  portion  of  the  county  stands  Lassens 
peak,  10,577  f'S^t  above  the  sea.  More  than  half  a  mil- 
lion pounds  of  wool  are  produced  annually.  The  county 
is  eminently  an  agricultural  one. 


Butte. — South  of  Tehama  and  bounded  northwest  by 
Tehama,  northeast  by  Plumas,  southeast  by  Yuba, 
south  by  Sutter,  and  west  by  Colusa,  is  the  county  of 
Butte,  with  an  aree  of  1,458  square  miles,  and  a  popula- 
tion of  1 1,403 ;  there  being  7,428  native  Americans  and 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


479 


,i;'ri 


3,975  persons  of  foreign  birth.  The  county  embraces 
a  portion  of  the  foot-hills  and  mountains  of  the  Sierras, 
and  a  large  area  of  the  most  productive  agricultural 
lands  in  the  State.  The  resources  of  this  section  are 
varied — mines  of  gold  of  great  richness,  deep  forests' 
and  rich  agricultural  lands.  The  climate  is  delightful : 
upon  the  high  mountain  tops  snow  falls  in  winter,  but 
throughout  the  valleys  the  climate  is  perpetual  summer. 
Grain,  fruit,  and  vegetables  grow  abundantly,  and  many 
of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  ripen  to  perfection.  Rains 
fall  to  considerable  extent  in  winter,  but  the  summers 
are  long,  dry,  and  in  some  places  excessively  hot ;  but 
the  weather  altogether  is  charming.  The  lemon,  fig, 
walnut,  almond,  olive,  orange,  and  mulberry  all  grow 
well ;  and  farming,  dairying,  grazing,  mining,  and  lum- 
bering are  carried  on  extensively. 

There  are  several  growing  towns  in  the  county  : 
Oroville  is  the  county-seat ;  Chico,  with  a  population 
of  3,718,  is  a  prosperous  and  increasing  town.  Lines 
of  railroad  traversing  the  county,  together  with  its  genial 
climate  and  varied  resources,  make  it  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  portions  of  the  State. 


Colusa. — Bounded  north  by  Tehama,  south  by  Yolo, 
and  west  by  Mendocino  and  Lake,  is  the  county  of 
Colusa,  with  an  area  of  2,376  square  miles,  and  a  popu- 
lation of  6,165  :  of  whom  5,088  are  Americans  and  1,077 
are  of  foreign  birth.  This  county  is  fifty-one  square 
miles  larger  than  the  State  of  Delaware,  and  possesses 
great  natural  resources.  Salt,  sulphur,  and  quicksilver 
are  found  in  the  northwestern  portions  of  the  county, 
but  so  far  no  mines  of  any  importance  of  gold  or  silver 
have  been  discovered.     Agriculture  and  grazing  are 


48o 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  chief  pursuits  of  the  people.  The  Sacramento 
river  passes  through  the  eastern  side  of  the  county  for 
its  entire  length.  Colusa  is  eminently  an  agricultural 
county,  being  one  of  the  chief  wheat-growing  counties 
in  the  State.  Rains  fall  to  considerable  extent  in  winter, 
but  snow  is  never  seen,  and  the  climate  is  protracted 
summer.  Every  variety  of  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits 
grow  well,  and  many  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  attain 
great  perfection. 

There  are  no  towns  of  importance  in  this  county : 
Colusa,  the  county-seat,  with  a  population  of  1,051,  and 
Princeton  and  Monroeville,  are  the  principal  ones. 


Yuba. — Bounded  on  the  north  by  Butte,  east  by 
Nevada  and  Sierra,  south  by  Sutter  and  Placer,  and 
west  by  Sutter  and  Butte,  is  the  county  of  Yuba,  with  an 
area  of  six  hundred  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
10,851  ;  of  whom  6,144  are  native  Americans  and 
4,707  of  foreign  birth.  This  county  consists  of  moun- 
tains, rolling, hills,  forests,  and  beautiful  valleys  of  un- 
surpassed productiveness.  The  climate  is  perpetual 
summer.  Winter  is  distinguished  only  from  the  other 
seasons  by  the  rainfall.  Summer  is  long,  dry,  and  ex- 
ceedingly hot  in  many  of  the  valleys  and  canons.  Mines 
of  gold,  of  great  richness,  are  still  worked,  and  great 
quantities  of  fruit  and  grain  are  raised,  many  of  the 
semi-tropical  fruits  attaining  great  perfection.  The 
orange,  lemon,  fig,  walnut,  almond,  mulberry,  and  grape 
all  grow  well.  More  than  one-half  of  the  castor  beans 
grown  in  California  are  produced  in  this  county.  Con- 
siderable lumber  is  made,  but  the  chief  wealth  of  the 
county  is  its  varied  agricultural  and  mineral  resources. 
There  is  one  woollen  factory  in  operation  in  the  county. 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


481 


Marysville,  the  county-seat  and  principal  city,  has  a 
population  of  4,375,  and  is  connected  with  various  parts 
of  the  State  by  railroad  and  river  navigation. 

Sutter. — In  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Sacramento, 
bounded  north  by  Yuba  and  Butte,  east  by  Yuba  and 
Placer,  south  by  V^olo  and  Sacramento,  and  west  by 
Yolo  and  Colusa,  is  Sutter  county,  with  an  area  of  576 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  5,030;  there  being 
3,949  native  Americans  and  1,081  of  foreign  birth. 
This  is  eminently  an  agricultural  county.  A  portion 
of  the  northern  section  is  covered  with  rugged  hills, 
and  large  areas  of  the  western  side  is  tule  land,  subject 
to  overflow  in  winter;  but  the  greater  portion  of  the 
county  is  fit  for  cultivation,  and  large  quantities  of  grain, 
fruit,  and  vegetables  are  cultivated.  The  climate  is 
continuous  summer:  rain  falls  to  considerable  extent  in 
winter,  and  the  summers  are  long,  dry,  and  exceedingly 
hot.  The  Sacramento  river  passes  along  the  western 
side  of  the  county,  and  the  Feather  river  through  it. 
All  the  grains,  and  the  orange,  grape,  lemon,  fig, 
almond,  walnut,  and  mulberry  grow  well.  There  are 
few  towns  of  any  size.  Yuba  City,  with  one  thousand 
inhabitants,  is  the  county-seat.  Railroads  intersect  the 
county,  which  is  altogether  prosperous. 

Yolo. — Lying  west  of  the  Sacramento  river,  and 
bounded  north  by  Colusa,,  east  by  Sutter  and  Sacra- 
mento, south  by  Solano,  and  west  by  Lake  and  Napa, 
is  the  county  of  Yolo,  with  an  area  of  1,150  square 
miles,  and  a  population  of  9,899;  of  whom  7,778  are 
native  Americans  and  2,121  are  of  foreign  birth.  A 
portion  of  the.  northwestern  side  of  the  county  is  hilly, 
and  along  the  streams  and  rolling  hills  oak  and  other 
3« 


I 


482 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


trees  grow;  but  the  grtjater  part  of  the  surface  is  level, 
with  deep  rich  soil,  entirely  free  from  forest,  shrub,  or 
stones:  there  is  considerable  low  tule  lands  along  the 
Sacramento  river.  The  soil  is  rich,  and  grain,  fruit, 
vegetables — in  fact,  almost  any  thing  that  grows  from 
the  soil  in  any  part  of  the  world — can  be  produced  in 
this  county.  The  climate  is  uninterrupted  summer.  Th 
rains  of  winter  are  neither  cold  nor  excessive,  and 
summer  is  delightful,  although  very  hot  in  many  places. 
Yolo  is  altogether  an  agricultural  county.  One  and 
a-half  million  bushels  of  wheat  are  grown  annually  in 
this  county,  and  the  orange,  lemon,  grape,  fig,  and 
every  variety  of  agricultural  product  grows  most  abun- 
dantly. Half  the  mulberry  trees  in  the  State  are  in 
Yolo,  and  one-third  of  the  pea-nuts  grown  in  California 
are  produced  in  this  county. 

There  are  few  towns  of  importance  in  Yolo.  Wood- 
land, a  prosperous  and  growing  place  in  the  southern 
portion  of  the  county,  is  the  county-seat.  Railroads 
pass  through  the  principal  valleys,  and  the  county 
generally  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  prosperity. 


Lakf. — Bounded  north  by  Mendocino,  northeast  by 
Yolo  and  Colusa,  south  by  Napa,  and  southwest  by 
Mendocino  and  Sonoma,  is  the  county  of  Lake,  with  an 
area  of  972  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  2,969 ; 
divided  between  2,483  native  Americans  and  486 
foreigners.  The  surface  of  this  county  is  a  succession 
of  rolling  hills,  deep  canons,  and  rich  valleys.  The 
hills  are  well  wooded,  and  there  is  an  abundant  supply 
of  water  and  native  grasses.  The  resources  of  this 
county  are  varied — lumbering,  farming,  and  grazing. 
Quicksilver,  sulphur,  borax,  and  copper  are  obtained  in 


m 


CRATER   OF  THE   GIANT   GEYSER,  YELI.OWSK  (NE   REGION,   WYOMING   TERRITORY. 
(Line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.) 


THE   FAN   GEYSER,  YELLOWSTONE   REGION,  WVOMING   TERRITORY, 
(line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.; 


BATHING   POOLS,  YELLOWSTONE   RKCION,  WYOMINC.   TERRITORY. 
(Line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.) 


! 
i 


THE  GROITO   GEYSER,  VELLOWSTI  Nr.   RECION,  WYOMING   TERRITORV. 
(Line  of  the  Northern  pacific  RailroaJ.) 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


483 


considerable  quantities.  So  far,  neither  gold  nor  silver 
have  been  found.  The  climate  of  Lake  county  is  sum- 
mer perpetually,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the  county  at 
all  times  is  picturesque  and  charming.  The  weather, 
without  being  too  hot,  is  warm  and  most  delightful. 
Grazing,  dairying,  fruit-growing,  and  farming  are  all 
carried  on  successfully.  Most  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits 
grow  here,  and  the  soil  is  very  productive.  The 
almond,  walnut,  fig,  olive,  and  mulberry  grow  in  Lake 
county.  There  are  no  towns  of  importance  in  the 
county.  Lakeport,  the  county-seat,  has  a  population 
of  297  persons.     The  county  is  generally  prosperous. 


Vi 


vij^ 


Napa. — Bounded  north  by  Lake,  northeast  by  Solano 
and  Yolo,  south  by  Solano  and  the  Bay  of  San  Pablo, 
and  west  by  Sonoma,  is  Napa  county,  with  an  area  of 
828  square  miles,  and  a  population  of  7,163;  of  whom 
5,394  are  native  American  and  1,769  are  of  foreign 
birth.  The  general  features  of  this  county  are  succes- 
sive hills,  mountains,  and  beautiful  valleys.  Forests  of 
oak  and  other  trees  fringe  the  hill-sides  and  dot  the 
valleys.  Springs  of  boiling  hot  water,  mineral,  soda, 
and  sulphur  springs  of  great  beauty  and  value  are 
found.  No  mines  of  the  precious  metals  have  yet  been 
discovered  in  this  county ;  but  sulphur,  copper,  and 
quicksilver  are  obtained.  The  springs  of  soda  and  the 
hot  springs  of  the  county  are  favorite  places  of  resort 
for  invalids  and  pleasure-seekers ;  and  the  soda,  pure 
from  the  springs,  is  largely  sold  over  the  State.  Napa 
is  eminently  an  agricultural  county;  the  grape,  orange, 
fig,  lemon,  walnut,  olive,  mulberry,  and  almost  every 
variety  of  fruit,  grain,  and  vegetables  growing  most 
abundantly.     The  climate  Is  continuous  summer,  and 


484 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  whole  surface  of  the  county  perpetual  verdure. 
Frost  is  occasionally  seen  in  January,  but  never  suffi- 
cient to  affect  vegetation.  Summer  is  dry,  and  in  most 
places  in  the  county  the  weather  is  quite  warm,  although 
never  excessively  hot.  The  waters  of  the  Bays  of  San 
Francisco  and  San  Pablo  afford  direct  water  communi- 
cation to  and  Irom  San  Francisco.  The  chief  towns  in 
the  county  are  Napa  City,  the  county-seat,  Calistoga, 
where  are  located  the  hot  springs  and  petrified  forests, 
St.  Helena,  Suscol,  and  Sebastopol.  There  are  fortyv 
six  miles  of  railroad  in  the  county,  the  permanent  agri- 
cultural wealth  of  which  is  fast  developing. 


Solano. — Bounded  north  by  Yolo  and  Napa,  east  by 
the  Sacramento  river,  south  by  Suisun  bay  and  the 
Straits  of  Carquinez,  and  west  by  Napa,  is  the  county 
of  Solano,  with  an  area  of  800  square  miles,  and  a  pop- 
ulation of  16,871 ;  of  whom  1 1,263  ^.re  native  American 
and  5,608  are  of  foreign  birth.  Along  the  northern 
side  of  the  county  are  rolling  hills,  covered  with  oak 
and  other  timber ;  but  the  great  body  of  the  county  is 
level  and  slightly  rolling  land  of  unsurpassed  fertility, 
producing  grain,  fruit,  vegetables,  grapes,  and  many 
of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  in  great  abundance.  No 
precious  metals  have  been  discovered  in  this  county; 
but  cement,  marble,  and  coal  are  found.  The  county 
having  railroads  and  a  direct  water  communication  with 
San  Francisco  gives  it  superior  commercial  advantages. 
The  climate  is  perpetually  mild;  the  heavy  falls  of 
rain  in  winter  and  the  drought  of  summer  alone  dis- 
tinguishing the  seasons.  Agriculture  is  the  chief  re- 
source of  the  county,  there  being  but  one  county  in  the 
State  having  a  greater  area  of  cultivation.    There  are 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


4S5 


almost  one  and  a-half  million  grape-vines  in  Solano, 
and  two  million  bushels  of  wheat  grown  annually. 
Two-thirds  of  all  the  flax  grown  in  California  is  grown 
in  this  county. 

Vallejo,  where  the  United  States  navy-yard  is  situ- 
ated, is  the  chief  city  of  the  county,  and  is  growing  fast: 
its  population  is  6,392.  The  other  chief  towns  in  this 
county  are  Benicia,  with  a  population  of  1,660,  Rio  Vista, 
Suisun,  Vacaville,  and  Fairfield,  the  county-seat. 

There  are  but  three  counties  in  the  State  surpassing 
Solano  in  the  production  of  wheat.  The  country  is  fast 
filling  up  with  industrious  and  prosperous  farmers. 


Sacramento. — Bounded  north  by  Placer  and  Sutter, 
east  by  El  Dorado  and  Amador,  south  by  Contra  Costa 
and  San  Joaquin,  and  west  by  the  Sacramento  river,  is 
Sacramento  county,  with  an  area  of  1,026  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  26,830,  divided  between  16,228 
native  Americans  and  10,602  foreigners.  The  county 
has  a  diversity  of  soil  and  resources.  Upon  its  eastern 
side  are  spurs  and  ridges  of  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras, 
well  timbered  with  oak  and  other  trees.  This  region, 
once  the  busy  scene  of  mining,  is  now  covered  with  the 
grape-vine,  orchards,  and  farms.  There  are  large  areas 
of  valley  lands,  and  toward  the  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin  rivers  almost  one-third  of  the  area  of  the  county 
is  low,  rich  soil,  subject  to  overflow  in  spring :  this  land 
is  unsurpassed  for  its  productiveness ;  vegetables,  grain, 
and  fruit  of  almost  every  variety  grow  to  perfection. 
Toward  the  foot-hills,  gold-mining  had  been  carried  on 
to  considerable  extent  some  years  ago,  but,  with  the 
exception  of  some  placer  mines  worked  by  Chinamen, 
no  mines  of  any  importance  are  now  worked.     The 


486 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


climate  of  this  county  is  delightfully  mild.  Along  the 
foot-hills  there  are  slight  falls  of  snow  in  winter,  but 
throughout  the  valleys  snow  is  never  seen.  Rain  falls 
freely  in  winter,  and  the  valleys  in  summer  are  exces- 
sively hot  and  dry,  grass  being  crisped  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun  and  the  dry,  hot  winds.  The  Sacramento  river 
and  various  railroads  afford  abundant  means  of  travel 
to  and  through  the  county. 

Extensive  and  varied  agriculture  and  manufacturing 
industries  add  to  the  increasing  prosperity  of  the  county, 
which  has  the  second  largest  population  of  any  county 
in  the  Stnte. 

This  county  is  famous  in  history  as  the  home  of 
General  Sutter,  and  Sutter's  Fort,  a  short  distance  from 
the  city  of  Sacramento,  is  a  place  ever  green  in  the 
memory  of  the  early  gold-hunter. 

Sacramento  City,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is  built  upon 
low  ground,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Sacramento  river. 
It  has  been  subject  to  overflow,  and  is  surrounded  by 
a  levee  or  earth  embankment,  and  is  supposed  to  be 
secure  from  the  effects  of  floods.  The  city  is  spread 
over  a  large  area  of  almost  water-level  plain,  built  with 
substantial  brick  and  wood  houses.  The  capitol  build- 
ing. State  agricultural  building,  and  other  edifices  adorn 
the  city,  and  add  much  to  its  attractions.  Beautiful  gar- 
dens and  shade-trees  ornament  and  beautify  the  capital 
city,  giving  it  a  green  and  pleasant  appearance.  Rail- 
road machine-shops,  a  woollen  factory,  and  various  other 
branches  of  industry  give  employment  to  large  numbers 
of  the  people.  Trains  of  cars  and  lines  of  steamboats 
run  daily  between  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento.  The- 
population  of  the  city  of  Sacramento  is  16,298,  being  the 
second  largest  city  in  the  State.     Folsom  is  the  only 


being 
and  c( 
Mo 
nent 
Cisco. 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


487 


town  of  any  importance  outside  of  Sacramento  in  the 
county,  but  there  are  several  small  growing  places,  and 
altogether  the  county  is  prosperous. 

Agriculture  is  the  chief  resource  of  the  county,  and 
the  grape,  orange,  lemon,  fig,  olive,  apple,  peach,  pear, 
and  all  the  products  of  the  farm  grow  abundantly. 
Onions,  melons,  pea-nuts,  sweet  potatoes,  and  hops  are 
grown  to  a  larger  extent  in  this  county  than  in  any 
other  in  the  State.  More  than  one-half  of  the  sweet 
potatoes  grown  in  California  annually  are  produced  in 
Sacramento  county. 


Contra  Costa. — In  an  easterly  direction  across  the 
bay  from  San  Francisco  is  the  county  of  Contra  Costa. 
It  is  bounded  north  by  the  Straits  of  Carquinez,  Suisun 
bay,  and  the  River  San  Joaquin,  east  by  San  Joaquin 
county,  south  and  southwest  by  Alameda,  and  west  by 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  area  of  this  county  is 
756  square  miles,  and  the  population  is  8,461  ;  of  whom 
5,791  are  native  Americans  and  2,670  are  of  foreign 
birth.  Contra  Costa  is  bounded  upon  three  sides  by 
water,  and  is  called  a  "  bay  county,"  from  the  fact  that 
it  faces  upon  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  The  surface 
of  the  county  is  rolling  hills  and  rugged  mountains,  with 
beautiful  fertile  valleys,  and  even  the  high  rolling  hills 
have  a  deep  rich  soil,  and  are  covered  with  wild  oats 
and  native  grasses  down  to  the  waters  of  the  bay. 
There  is  little  timber,  the  general  face  of  the  country 
being  free  from  tree  or  shrub.  Agriculture,  grazing, 
and  coal-mining  are  the  chief  branches  of  industry. 

Monte  Diablo,  a  high  chain  of  mountains,  is  a  promi- 
nent object,  and  quite  visible  from  the  city  of  San  Fran- 
cisco.    It  is  directly  east  of  the  Golden  Gate  and  San 


488 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Francisco  In  winter  snow  falls  upon  this  range,  but 
is  of  short  duration,  lasting  a  few  days  only,  during 
which  time  it  is  an  object  of  curiosity  to  the  people  of 
San  Francisco  and  surrounding  country.  In  this  high 
mountain'  range  are  inexhaustible  beds  of  coal,  pro- 
ducing one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tons  annually. 
This  is  the  only  county  in  the  State  in  which  coal- 
mining is  successfully  prosecuted. 

Copper,  quicksilver,  and  other  minerals  are  found  in 
Contra  Costa,  but  are  not  yet  developed ;  gold  nor  silver 
has  not  been  discovered  in  this  county.  Grain,  vege- 
tables, and  fruit  grow  well.  The  damp  and  fogs  from 
the  bay  keep  the  western  side  of  the  county  cool  during 
summer ;  but,  while  these  influences  preserve  the  pas- 
tu  rage  green,  they  are  a  source  of  annoyance  to  farmers 
by  blighting  wheat  with  rust:  indeed,  all  the  portions 
of  each  county  facing  the  salt  water  of  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco  are  subject  to  rust  in  the  wheat,  while  a  little 
distance  from  these  sections  rust  is  unknown. 

The  climate  is  exceedingly  mild,  winter  being  known 
only  by  its  rains.  Summer  is  delightful,  tiie  air  being 
rendered  cool  and  bracing  by  the  winds  sweeping  through 
the  Golden  Gate,  and  across  the  bay,  and  passing  over 
the  greater  portion  of  the  county. 

Martinez,  situated  near  the  Straits  of  Carquinez,  is 
the  county-seat.  Antioch,  Alamo,  Pacheco,  and  San 
Pablo  are  the  chief  towns  in  the  county,  but  are  all 
small.  Nearly  all  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow  well  in 
Contra  Costa  county,  which  is  eminendy  an  agricultural 
district. 


Alameda. — Directly  east  from  San  Francisco,  and 
eight  miles  across  the  bay,  bounded  north  by  Contra 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


489 


Costa,  east  by  San  Joaquin,  south  by  Santa  Clara,  and 
west  by  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  is  Alameda  county, 
with  an  area  of  800  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
24,237;/ of  whom  14.382  are  native  Americans  and  9,855 
are  of  foreign  birth.  The  surface  is  a  succession  of 
beautiful  valleys  and  rolling  hills,  with  deep  rich  soil, 
covered  with  wild  oats  and  native  grasses.  There  are 
some  rugged  hills,  and  the  range  of  Monte  Diablo  runs 
through  the  county.  Upon  a  few  flats  along  the  bay, 
and  some  of  the  hills,  and  in  the  gulches,  grow  oak  and 
other  trees;  but  the  general  face  of  the  country  for 
miles  is  entirely  free  from  trees,  shrubs,  or  stones,  and 
is  fit  for  the  plow.  The  soil  is  unsurpassed  in  its  pro- 
ductiveness. Grain,  fruit,  and  vegetables  grow  most 
luxuriantly,  and  great  quantities  of  berries,  cherries, 
and  fruit  of  every  description  are  sent  from  this  county 
to  the  San  Francisco  market.  The  mulberry  and  most 
of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow.  The  resources  of  the 
county  are  agriculture,  fruit-growing,  grazing,  and  dairy- 
ing. The  climate  ih  perpetual  summer.  Snow  never 
falls,  and  the  prevailing  winds  from  the  ocean  and  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco  so  temper  the  climate  that,  in 
the  western  side  of  the  county,  the  heat  is  never  great. 
Coal  has  been  discovered  in  some  parts  of  the  county, 
but  none  of  the  precious  nor  other  metals  have  been 
found.  Hot  springs  and  many  objects  of  natural 
beauty  exist  in  the  county.  Steamers  run  every  hour 
from  San  Francisco  to  Alameda,  a  town  containing 
1,557  inhabitants. 

San  Leandro,  a  beautifully  situated  town  in  the  heart 
of  a  rich  agricultural  valley,  is  the  county-seat.  Brook- 
lyn, Alameda,  Alvarado,  Centreville,  and  Haywood  are 
all  growing  towns  in  this  county.     At  Alvarado,  a  beet- 


1    i 


m 


IF 


490 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


sugar  mill,  producing  excellent  sugar  from  beets  raised 
in  the  valley,  is  in  successful  operation.  Oakland,  di- 
rectly east  and  acrosa  the  bay  from  the  <.ity  of  San 
Francisco,  is  the  principal  city  in  the  county,  having  a 
population  of  11,164.  It  is  the  third  city  in  size  in  the 
State.  The  city  of  Oakland  is  built  upon  a  level  piece 
of  sandy  land,  beautifully  ornamented  with  evergreens, 
oaks  and  other  native  forest  trees,  which  break  the 
strong  west  winds  sweeping  across  the  bay;  and  in 
summer,  when  the  cold  fogs  and  winds  of  San  Fran- 
cisco are  chilling  and  oppressive,  it  is  warm,  calm,  and 
delightful  at  Oakland.  The  great  overland  railroad 
passes  through  the  city,  and  out  upon  a  whirf  of  three 
miles  in  length,  toward  Goat  island  and  San  Francisco, 
where  connection  is  made  by  ferry-boats.  Oakland  is 
the  home  of  thousands  of  persons  engaged  in  business 
in  San  Francisco.  There  are  numerous  educational 
institutions  in  the  city  and  vicinity.  The  State  univer- 
sity is  located  at  Berkeley,  five  miles  out  of  town.  The 
view  from  Alameda  county  is  charming:  the  city  of 
San  Francisco,  with  its  hills  and  lofty  church  spires,  the 
beautiful  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  its  islands,  the  moun- 
tains of  Marin  county,  and  the  Golden  Gate,  are  all  in 
full  view;  and  with  the  sun  sinking  into  the  bosom  of 
the  ocean,  and  gilding  the  landscape  and  bay,  the  scene 
is  most  lovely. 


San  Joaquin. — The  county  of  San  Joaquin  is  situated 
in  the  fertile  valley  of  that  name,  which  embraces  nine 
million  acres  of  the  most  fertile  and  tillable  land  in  Cali- 
fornia. The  county  is  bounded  north  by  Sacramento, 
east  by  Calaveras,  Amador,  and  Stanislaus,  and  west  by 
Contra  Costa  and  Alameda.     The  area  of  the  county 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


491 


is  1,350  square  miles — 44  square  miles  greater  than 
the  State  of  Rhode  Island — and  contains  a  population 
of  21,050;  of  whom'  14,824  are  native  Americans  and 
6,226  are  of  foreign  birth. 

The  county  is  almost  level.  Scattered  oaks  and 
other  trees  of  beauty  d6t  the  plains,  lending  a  most 
picturesque  and  beautiful  aspect.  Large  areas  are 
subject  to  overflow  in  winter ;  but  these  lands  are  of 
the  richest  character,  and,  when  surrounded  by  levees, 
produce  vegetables,  grain,  and  fruit  beyond  comparison. 
The  climate  is  mild  and  even.  Rains  fall  to  consid- 
erable extent  in  winter,  and  the  summers  are  exces- 
sively dry  and  hot.  Grazing  and  a  diversified  agricul- 
ture are  the  chief  resources  of  the  county.  No  miner- 
als, so  far,  have  been  discovered.  The  overland  rail- 
road passes  through  the  county,  and  steamers  run  from 
San  Francisco  to  Stockton  and  other  points.  More 
than  one  and  a-half  million  bushels  of  wheat  are  pro- 
duced annually  in  this  county,  which  is  in  the  heart  of 
the  wheat-growing  region  of  the  State.  The  lemon, 
fig,  walnut,  almond,  mulberry,  olive,  and  orange  grow. 

Mokelumne,  Farmington,  and  Woodbridge  are  grow- 
ing towns.  Stockton,  the  county-seat  and  principal  city 
in  the  county,  has  a  population  of  10,033,  ^-nd  is  at  the 
head  of  river  navigation  on  the  San  Joaquin  river: 
boats  of  light  draught,  however,  ascend  farther.  Stock- 
ton is  a  nicely  built  city  and  is  growing  rapidly ;  at  this 
place  is  situated  the  State  insane  asylum.  The  city  is 
built  upon  a  low  plain;  it  is  very  dusty  and  exceedingly 
hot  in  summer,  but  well  shaded  with  beautiful  trees. 


^^ 


Stanislaus. — Bounded  north  by  San  Joaquin  county, 
northeast   by  Tuolumne  and  Calaveras,  southeast  by 


m 


492 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Merced,  and  west  by  Santa  Clara,  is  the  county  of  Stan- 
islaus,'with  an  area  of  1,350  square  miles — 44  square 
miles  more  than  is  comprised  within  the  area  of  the 
State  of  Rhode  Island — and  a  population  of  6,499  J  of 
whom  5,147  are  native  and  1,352  are  of  foreign  birth. 
The  body  of  the  county  is  situated  between  the  foot- 
hills of  the  Sierras  and  the  Monte  Diablo  range  of 
mountains,  and  is  one  of  the  most  fertile  sections  of  the 
State,  and  'produces  one-third  more  wheat  than  any 
other  county  in  California.  Along  the  foot-hills,  in  the 
eastern  section  of  the  count)',  placer  gold-mines  have 
been  worked  to  considerable  ejctent,  and  copper  has 
been  discovered ;  but  the  county  is  eminently  an  agri- 
cultural one.  Tht  surface  is  generally  level,  there 
being  but  little  timber,  save  along  the  edges  of  the 
streams  and  upon  the  hill-tops.  The  San  Joaquin 
and  other  rivers  flow  through  the  county.  Grain, 
vegetables,  and  fruits  of  every  description  grow  abun- 
dantly ;  and  over  the  level  and  fertile  plains,  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  can  be  seen  miles  upon  miles  of  wav- 
ing fields  of  wheat,  unbroken  by  a  single  tree,  fence,  or 
shrub,  and  in  the  whole  county  not  an  interruption  of 
rock  or  tree  obstructs  the  plow.  The  climate  is  pro- 
tracted summer.  The  rains  of  winter  mantle  the  whole 
surface  in  green.  Summer  is  dry  and  hot ;  but,  as  the 
evenings  and  nights  of  summer  are  cool  throughout  the 
whole  State,  the  weather,  however  hot  during  the  day, 
is  never  oppressive.  Stanislaus  produces  every  variety 
of  fruit,  grain,  and  vegetables,  and  most  of  the  semi- 
tropical  fruits  grow  well ;  and  one  and  a-quarter  mil- 
lion pounds  of  wool  and  three  and  a-quarter  million 
bushels  of  wheat  are  produced  annually.  There  are 
no   towns'  of  any   importance.     Knight's   Ferry,  the 


mer 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


493 


county-seat,  with  a  population  of  850,  is  the  only  place 
of  importance. 

Santa  Clara. — In  a  southerly  direction  from  San 
Francisco,  and  separated  from  it  by  San  Mateo  county, 
is  the  county  of  Santa  Clara,  lying  between  the  Monte 
Diablo  mountains  on  the  east  and  the  Santa  Cruz  moun- 
tains on  the  west,  and  bounded  north  by  Alameda  and 
the  bead  of  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  east  by  Merced 
and  Stanislaus,  south  by  Monterey,  and  west  by  Santa 
Cruz  county.  The  area  of  this  county  is  1,332  square 
miles — 26  square  miles  larger  than  the  State  of.  Rhode 
Island.  The  population  of  the  county  is  26,246 — the 
third  largest  of  any  county  in  the  State — made  up  of 
17,241  native  Americans  and  9,005  foreigners.  The 
surface  of  the  county  is  a  succession  of  delightful  val- 
leys, rolling  hills,  and  wooded  mountains.  Upon  many 
of  the  valleys,  beautiful  oak  and  other  trees  grow.  The 
soil  is  deep,  rich,  and  fertile,  produ^ng  grain,  fruit,  ber- 
ries, and  vegetables  in  great  abundance.  In  most  places 
the  surface  is  entirely  free  from  trees,  shrubs,  or  rock 
to  interrupt  the  plow.  The  climate  is  charming ;  snow 
never  falls,  and  winter  is  a  succession  of  mild  showers 
and  sunshine.  Spring  (January)  presents  waving  fields 
of  grain,  verdant  hills  clad  in  wild  oats  and  wild  flow- 
ers, and  vast  orchards  blooming  and  fragrant.  Just 
enough  of  the  ocean  breezes  of  summer  pass  over  the 
Coast  Range  of  mountains  to  temper  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer to  the  most  balmy  and  delightful  temperature, 
without  making  it  either  too  hot  or  too  cool. 

Agriculture  in  great  diversity,  grazing,  and  stock- 
raising  are  the  chief  resources  of  the  county.  No 
mines  of  precious  metals  have  yet  been  discovered,  but 


■! 


1 


494 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  famous  New  Almaden  and  other  quicksilver  mines 
of  great  richness  are  in  this  county.  . 

This  is  one  of  the  greatest  agricultural  counties  in 
California,  and  supplies  the  San  Francisco  market  with 
great  abundance  of  fruits  and  berries.  One-third  of  all 
the  apple  trees  in  the  State  are  in  this  county.  Peaches, 
apples,  pears,  cherries,  grapes,  and  other  fruits  are  pro- 
duced in  great  quantities.  There  are  over  three  mil- 
lion strawberry  vines,  producing  one  and  a-half  million 
pounds  of  strawberries  annually ;  Liurf  being  but  one 
million  pounds  grown  in  all  the  rest  of  the  State.  Mon- 
terey and  Santa  Clara  counties  produce  one-third  of  all 
the  cheese  of  the  State ;  the  latter  i:ounty  making  one 
and  three-quarters  of  a  million  pound^j  a,nnnally.  The 
olive,  orange,  grape,  lemon,  fig,  and  most  of  the  semi- 
tropical  fruits  grow  abundantly,  and  the  county  yields 
two  million  bushels  of  wheat  annually. 

Manufacturing  and  mechanical  industry  is  carried 
on  to  considerable  extent.  At  San  Jose  and  Los  Gatos 
are  established  large  woollen  factories.  The  county  is 
reached  from  San  Francisco  by  daily  trains  and  by 
steamboats  upon  the  bay. 

There  are  several  growing  towns  in  the  county.  The 
county-seat,  San  Jose,  is  built  upon  the  rich  soil  of  the 
valley,  eight  miles  inland  from  Alviso,  the  head  of  navi- 
gation on  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  It  contains  a 
population  of  9,091.  The  city  is  well  built,  having 
many  elegant  dwellings.  The  soil  in  the  vicinity  is 
rich,, producing  abundantly.  Beautiful  ornamental  and 
fruit  trees  and  the  numerous  flower-gardens  lend  a 
charming  aspect  to  the  place,  and  make  it  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  cities  in  the  world.  The  State  Normal 
school  and  otier  educational  institutions  are  located 


'V'-*  \ 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


495 


here.  The  next  town  of  importance  in  the  county  is 
Santa  Clara,  three  miles  northwest  from  San  Jose. 
This  town  was  founded  as  a  mission  in  1774.  It  has  a 
population  of  3,470.  The  place  is  celebrated  for  its 
educational  institutions,  the  College  of  Santa  Clara  and 
the  University  of  the  Pacific  being  located  here.  Gil- 
roy,  Alviso,  and  Saratoga  are  also  growing  towns  in 
this  county,  from  which  railroads  are  projected  to  all 
parts  of  the  southern  section  of  the  State,  and  to  the 
Atlantic  States. 


Merced. — Lying  between  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  and  Monte  Diablo,  in  the  heart  of  the  San 
Joaquin  valley,  and  with  the  San  Joaquin,  Merced,  and 
other  rivers  passing  through  it,  is  the  county  of  Merced, 
embracing  an  area  of  1,975  square  miles,  and  having  a 
population  of  but  2,807;  of  whom  2,196  are  native  and 
61 1  are  of  foreign  birth.  A  considerable  portion  of 
the  county  is  subject  to  overflow,  but  is  easily  re- 
claimed, and  almost  every  foot  of  the  county  is  of  the 
very  best  description  of  agricultural  land,  which  will 
produce  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits  of  every  descrip- 
tion most  abundantly.  The  county  is  bounded  north- 
v/est  by  Stanislaus,  northeast  by  Mariposa,  southeast 
by  Fresno,  and  southwest  by  Santa  Clara  and  Monterey. 
The  surface  of  the  country  is  generally  level.  Oak 
and  other  trees  grow  about  the  streams  and  on  the 
mountains,  but  the  body  of  the  county  is  for  miles  en- 
tirely free  from  any  obstruction  to  the  plow.  The  soil 
is  easily  cultivated,  and  is  rich  beyond  comparison.  No 
mines  have  yet  been  discovered.  The  resources  of  the 
county  are  agriculture  and  grazing.  All  the  semi-tropi- 
cal fruits  grow  well.     The  climate  is  unbroken  by  the 


496 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


presence  of  frost  or  snow.  Winter,  with  warm  rains, 
is  a  season  of  verdure.  December  ushers  in  waving 
fields  of  grain,  and  rich  meadows  gayly  bedecked  with 
flowers  through  the  months  of  January,  February,  and 
March,  with  ripe  fields  of  grain  in  June  and  July,  give 
a  continuous  season  of  summer.  The  progress  already 
made  by  the  sparse  population  of  this  county  is  re- 
markable. 

There  are  no  towns  of  importance  in  this  county. 
Snellings,  the  county-seat,  Dover,  Hopeton,  and  Merced 
Falls  are  the  only  places  of  any  importance.  At  the 
latter  town  is  situated  the  woollen  factory  of  the  Merced 
Falls  Woollen  Manufacturing  Company. 


Fresno. — Extending  from  the  crest  of  the  Monte 
Diablo  or  Coast  Range  of  mountains  to  the  summit 
of  the  Sierras,  in  the  midst  of  the  San  Joaquin  valley, 
and  embracing  an  area  of  8,750  square  miles,  and 
having  a  population  of  6,336;  of  whom  4,974  are  native 
Americans  and  1,362  are  of  foreign  birth,  is  the  county 
of  Fresno.  This  county  would  make  six  States  the 
size  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and  have  884  square 
miles  to  spare.  The  eastern  end  of  the  county,  in  the 
Sierras,  is  rugged  and  mountainous  ih  the  extreme. 
Here  the  grandest  forest  giants  in  the  world  grow. 
The  mountains  and  rolling  hills  are  generally  well 
wooded,  and  mines  of  gold  and  other  metals  are  found 
in  this  section.  Extending  westward,  the*  body  of  the 
county  lies  in  the  San  Joaquin  valley.  The  San  Joaquin 
river  passes  through  the  centre  of  the  county,  and  is 
navigable  to  Fresno  City.  Other  rivers  of  considerable 
magnitude  pass  through  this  county,  the  gieat  body  of 
which  is  perfectly  level,  having  a  deep  rich  soil,  entirely 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


497 


free  from  forest  or  other  obstructions.  Toward  the 
west,  where  the  county  joins  Monte  Diablo,  the  surface 
is  rolling  and  rugged.  Here  the  quicksilver  mines  of 
New  Idria  are  located. 

The  climate  in  this  county  is  varied.  In  winter  con- 
siderable snow  falls  in  that  portion  in  the  Sierras,  but 
throughout  the  great  valley  the  whole  surface  is  envel- 
oped in  grecii  during  the  entire  winter,  affording  pas- 
turage to  the  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep  in 
this  county.  Summer  in  the  valley  is  hot,  but  in  thf 
mountains  it  is  delightful ;  and  in  the  hottest  and  dry- 
est  of  summer,  cattle  are  driven  from  the  valleys  into 
the  Sierras,  where  they  graze  upon  the  luxuriant  native 
grass  and  herbage,  green  during  the  hottest  weather. 
In  the  valley  regions  it  is  perpetual  summer,  and  most 
of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow  well. 

Stock-raising  is  the  chief  business  of  the  county,  but 
farming  is  ca'-ried  on  to  considerable  extent ;  and  the 
soil  is  rich  and  well  adapted  to  every  branch  of  agricul- 
ture and  fruit- raising.  There  are  a  hundred  thousand 
cattle  and  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  sheep  in  this 
county,  and  more  than  a-half  million  pounds  of  wool 
grown  annually.  This  section  has  a  charming  climate 
and  varied  natural  resources,  which  are  being  fast  de- 
veloped by  lines  of  railroad  building  through  its  rich 
valleys. 

No  towns  of  importance  have  yet  grown  in  this  sec- 
tion. Millerton,  the  county- seat,  Fresno  City,  and 
Kingston  are  the  only  places  of  any  size. 


Tulare. — Bounded  on  the  north  and  northeast  by 
Fresno,  east  by  Inyo,  south  by  Kern,  and  west  by  Mon- 
terey, and  extending  from  the  Monte  Diablo  range  to 

3* 


':'^l$k 


498 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  Sierras,  occupying  a  great  portion  of  the  fertile  Tu- 
lare valley,  is  Tulare  county,  embracing  an  area  of  5,600 
square  miles — 600  of  which  are  embraced  in  Tulare 
lake,  the  largest  lake  in  the  State.  Several  rivers  of 
magnitude  pour  down  from  the  west  slope  of  the  Sier- 
ras, and  are  lost  in  the  depths  of  the  inland  sea  of  Tu- 
lare lake.  The  population  of  the  county  is  4,533 ;  of 
whom  3,977  are  Americans  and  556  are  of  foreign 
birth.  The  surface  of  the  county  is  rugged  and  moun- 
tainous in  the  extreme  in  the  eastern  end,  which  em- 
braces a  portion  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  and 
is  also  rugged  and  hilly  on  the  western  end,  embracing 
a  portion  of  Monte  Diablo.  These  sections  are  well 
wooded ;  and  throughout  the  broad,  rich  valley  of  the 
centre  of  the  county,  oak  and  other  trees  occasionally 
dot  the  surface  or  grow  by  the  river  side. 

This  county  is  almost  as  large  as  the  States  of  Con- 
necticut and  Delaware,  and  would  make  four  States  as 
large  as  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  leaving  an  area  of 
476  square  miles.  Winter,  even  in  the  Sierra  range,  is 
not  severe  in  this  county;  and  although  considerable 
snow  falls  it  is  of  short  duration,  and  cattle  and  horses 
graze  at  large  through  this  section  the  entire  year.  In 
the  valleys  it  is  continuous  summer.  December,  Janu- 
ary, and  February  present  a  beautiful  scene  of  verdure. 
Grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits  of  almost  every  description 
grow  abundantly.  Winter  in  the  valleys  is  made  up  ot 
mild  rains  and  sunshine.  Summer  is  very  dry  and  hot. 
The  agricultural  capacity  of  the  county  is  unsurpassed; 
but  stock-raising  is  the  chief  interest  of  Tulare,  which 
is  third  in  the  State  in  the  number  of  its  cattle.  The 
grape,  lemon,  fig,  walni  t,  almond,  mulberry,  olive,  and 
orange  all  grow  well.     Mines  of  gold  and  other  min- 


past 
tive,| 
desc 
hav( 


oranl 

metal 
aIon< 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


499 


erals  are  found  in  the  county  in  the  western  slope  of  the 
Sierra  range,  but  are  little  developed. 

Visalia,  a  flourishing  town  of  762  inhabitants,  is  the 
county-seat.  There  are  no  other  towns  of  any  magni- 
tude in  the  county.  Vandalia  and  Porterville  are  small 
villages. 


Kern. — Bounded  on  the  north  by  Tulare,  east  by 
San  Bernardino,  south  by  Los  Angeles,  and  west  and 
southwest  by  San  Luis  Obispo,  is  the  county  of  Kern, 
extending  from  the  Monte  Diablo  range  in  the  west  to 
the  Sierra  Nevada  in  the  east, .  and  occupying  the 
southern  extreme  end  of  the  great  fertile  valleys  of  the 
San  Joaquin  and  Tulare.  The  surface  of  the  country  is 
diversified  with  mountains,  plains,  valleys,  and  lakes. 
It  is  well  watered,  and  forests  grow  upon  the  rolling  hills 
and  mountains  and  trees  along  the  streams ;  but  the 
valleys  for  miles  upon  miles  are  an  unbroken  field  of 
native  grasses  and  wild  flowers,  affording  the  finest 
pasture-range  in  the  State.  The  soil  is  most  produc- 
tive, yielding  grain,  vegetables,  and  fruits  of  every 
description.  As  many  as  eight  full-grown  crops  of  hay 
have  been  cut  upon  the  same  piece  of  ground  in  a 
single  year  in  parts  of  this  county.  The  climate  is  unin- 
terrupted summer.  In  January  and  February  snow  falls 
lightly  upon  the  Sierra  range,  but  soon  disappears. 
Fall,  winter,  and  spring  in  the  valleys  are  continuous 
seasons  of  verdure.  Winter  is  interspersed  with  warm 
showers  of  rain,  balmy  atmosphere,  and  sunshine.  The 
lemon,  fig,  grape,  almond,  walnut,  mulberry,  olive,  and 
orange  all  grow  well.  Mines  of  gold,  silver,  and  other 
metals  are  found  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  county 
along  the  range  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  some 


■^* 


500 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


of  which  are  worked  with  profit;  but  agriculture  and 
grazing  are  the  chief  resources  of  this  section,  and  are 
carried  on  successfully.  Kern  embraces  an  area  of 
8,000  square  miles — equal  to  the  combined  area  of 
the  Papal  States  and  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, and  within  a  fraction  of  the  combined  area  of  the 
States  of  Connecticut,  Delaware,  and  Rhode  Island,  and 
would  make  seven  States  of  the  size  of  the  latter  State. 
The  population  of  Kern  is  but  2,925;  there  being  2,157 
native  Americans  and  768  foreigners.  Heretofore  the 
county  has  been  almost  inaccessible  for  want  of  means 
of  transportation ;  but  railroads  now  building  will  de- 
velop the  resources  of  the  county. 

Theres^are  no  towns  of  any  importance  in  this  sec- 
tion. Havilah,  the  county -seat,  has  a  population  of 
439.  Bakersville  and  Kernv'lle  are  small  but  growing 
villages. 

Considerable  numbers  of  the  cattle  and  sheep  grazing 
in  this  and  Tulare  county  are  owned  in  other  sections 
of  the  State,  and  are  only  herded  there  because  pas- 
turage is  abundant. 


San  Bernardino. — Occupying  the  extreme  southeast- 
ern part  of  the  State,  and  running  to  within  twenty  miles 
of  the  ocean  on  the  west,  and  to  the  extreme  eastern 
line  of  the  State,  being  in  a  direct  line  from  Los  Ange- 
les county  to  the  Colorado  river,  a  distance  of  220  miles, 
and,  from  the  Colorado  river  to  its  northern  boundar)', 
225  miles,  and  containing  an  area  of  23,472  square  miles, 
and  a  population  of  3,988,  of  whom  3,328  are  American 
and  660  are  foreigners,  is  the  county  of  San  Bernardino, 
the  largest  county  in  California. 

The  vast  area  of  this  county  presents  a  great  diver- 


cop| 

the 

neai 

the 

Thel 

tI 


INTERIOR  AND    VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


501 


sity  of  climate,  soil,  and  resources — rich  valleys,  rolling 
hills,  high  mountains,  sandy  deserts,  alkaline  and  dry 
lakes,  hot  and  sulphur  springs.  The  extent  of  this 
county  may  be  understood  when  it  is  considered  that  it 
is  more  than  four  times  as  great  as  the  Kingdom  of 
Saxony,  almost  double  the  size  of  the  Kingdom  of  Hol- 
land with  Luxemburg,  and  would  make  three  States  as 
large  as  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  leaving  seventy-two 
square  miles,  and  would  make  eighteen  States  the  size 
of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  boundaries  of  this  county  are:  northwest,  Inyo; 
northeast,  the  State  of  Nevada ;  east,  the  Colorado  river, 
separating  it  from  Arizona ;  south,  San  Diego ;  and 
west,  Los  Angeles  and  Kern  counties. 

Adjoining  the  county  of  Los  Angeles,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Monte  Diablo  range  or  San  Bernardino 
mountains,  is  a  section  of  beautiful  country,  somewhat 
wooded  upon  the  hills,  and  well  watered.  Here  the  soil 
is  rich  and  most  productive,  and  the  climate  charming. 
In  this  section  are  the  chief  settlements  in  the  county, 
and  the  county- seat,  San  Bernardino,  with  a  population 
of  3,060  inhabitants,  leaving  but  928  in  all  the  reriaindei 
of  the  county.  In  this  region  are  the  Temescal  moun- 
tains, in  which  are  rich  and  extensive  tin-mines.  A 
short  distance  east  of  the  San  Bernardino  mountains, 
in  this  section,  at  Holcomb  and  Bear  valleys,  are  rich 
mines  of  gold  in  quartz  and  placer  Gold,  silver,  lead, 
copper,  and  other  minerals  are  found  in  many  parts  of 
the  county,  and  recent  discoveries  of  silver  and  lead 
near  the  eastern  line,  and  the  Colorado  river,  show  that 
the  mineral  resources  of  the  county  are  very  great. 
There  has  been  but  little  mining  yet  done  in  this  section. 

Throughout  the  western  portion  of  the  county  there 


502 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


are  many  fertile  valleys,  several  high  mountains,  and 
some  springs  and  lakes ;  but  toward  the  central,  south- 
ern, and  eastern  parts  of  the  county  are  vast  sand 
deserts,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  without  a  green 
shrub,  tree,  or  hill  to  break  the  monotony.  No  vege- 
table nor  animal  life  is  found  in  these  wastes,  except  once 
in  a  while  a  few  tufts  of  bunch  grass ;  even  the  horned 
toad  cannot  find  food  for  sustenance  in  these  regions. 
Here  the  dreaded  sand-storms  sometimes  overtake  the 
forlorn  traveller,  and  the  dreariness  of  the  dry  lakes 
and  the  solitude  of  Death  valley  strike  awe  to  the  heart 
of  the  "  prospecter,"  and  the  enchanting  illusions  of  the 
mirage  draw  his  feet  toward  fancied  scenes  of  pleasure 
and  hope,  only  to  be  confounded  and  wrecked  upon  the 
burning  sands  of  the  desert. 

The  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  so  formidable  in  the 
northern  end  of  the  State,  are  broken  and  thrown  about 
in  fragments  in  this  section ;  so  that,  in  San  Bernardino 
county,  they  are  entirely  lost :  so,  too,  the  great  valleys 
of  San  Joaquin  and  Tulare  are  broken  up  before  they 
reach  this  county,  which,  in  its  physical  character,  is 
entirely  different  from  any  other  section  of  the  State. 

The  climate  of  the  county  is  summer  perpetually. 
Throughout  the  northern  and  western  part  of  the  county 
rains  fall  through  the  months  of  what  is  winter  at  the 
East,  although  not  to  any  extent;  but  toward  the  south- 
eastern end,  adjoining  Arizona,  no  rain  falls  in  winter, 
and  a  few  showers  in  July  and  August,  making  about 
three  inches  of  rain,  is  all  the  rain  that  falls  during  the 
whole  year.  The  heat  of  summer  in  this  quarter  is 
very  great. 

Railroads  projected  to  run  through  the  San  Joaquin 
valley,  and  also  from  San  Diego,  will  pass  through  this 


INTERIOR  AND   VALLEY  COUNTIES. 


503 


county;  and  at  a  point  near  Fort  Mohave,  where  the 
States  of  California  and  Nevada  and  the  Territory  of 
Arizona  join,  will  cross  the  river  Colorado,  and  con- 
nect with  roads  through  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  the 
Atlantic  seaboard.  These  roads  will  develop  the  re- 
sources and  wonders  of  this  county. 

All  the  semi-tropical  and  most  of  the  tropical  fruits 
will  grow  in  this  section.  The  lemon,  fig,  mulberry, 
almond,  walnut,  olive,  and  orange  are  all  cultivated  suc- 
cessfully; and  notwithstanding  the  broad,  dry  lakes, 
ashy  and  volcanic  beds,  and  sandy  deserts,  there  are 
vast  areas  of  fertile  and  most  productive  land  still  un- 
inhabited. 


5C4 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

Mountain  counties — Area,  resources,  climate,  and  population — 
Inyo — Mono — Mariposa — Tuolumne — Calaveras — Amador — Al- 
pine— El  Dorado — Placer — Nevada — Sierra — Plumas — Lassen. 

Turning  northward  from  the  Colorado  river  and  the 
deserts  of  San  Bernardino  county,  and  following  the 
ridge  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  to  the  Oregon 
State  line,  is  found  that  range  of  counties  embracing 
the  greater  part  of  the  Sierras,  with  their  wonderful 
forest  giants,  lofty  mountains,  and  magnificent  water- 
falls; here,  too,  are  the  great  treasure  vaults  of  the 
Golden  State,  with  representatives  of  every  race  and 
kindred  of  man  bowing  to  and  knocking  at  their  doors. 
This  chain  of  counties  is  known  as  the 

MOUNTAIN    COUNTIES. 

Some  years  ago,  when  the  placer  mines  of  some  of 
these  counties  became  exhausted,  the  miners  aban- 
doned them  and  sought  the  valley  counties  as  a  place 
of  permanent  abode.  Within  a  more  recent  period, 
the  great  capacity  of  these  mountain  regions  for  pro- 
ducing grain,  vegetables,  and  fruit  has  been  ascer- 
tained: particularly  have  they  become  celebrated  for 
grape-growing,  and  for  producing  the  finest  wines  in 
California.  Nearly  every  variety  of  fruit,  including  the 
orange,  olive,  lemon,  and  fig,  grow  in  most  of  these 
counties,  ana  orchards,  vines,  and  gardens  now  bloom 
upon  the  ruins  of  the  early  miner's  temporary  home 
along  the  foot-hills  and  gulches  of  the  western  slope  of 
the  Sierras.     For  diversified  agriculture  and  the  far- 


V. 

1 


'I'  'ill, 


i    l 


MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


505 


mer's  home,  these  mountain  counties,  generally  well 
wooded,  with  pure  water  and  pure  air,  are  much  pref- 
erable to  the  low  and  flat  valley  reg'ions ;  and,  although 
it  is  but  a  very  few  years  since  any  attention  was  first 
paid  to  agriculture  in  this  section,  the  material  progress 
made  is  most  encouraging. 


Inyo. — The  county  of  Inyo,  the  most  southern  of  the 
mountain  counties,  is  bounded  north  by  Mono,  north- 
east by  the  State  of  Nevada,  southeast  by  San  Bernar- 
dino, and  west  by  Fresno  and  Tulare.  The  area  of  this 
county  is  4,680  square  miles — equal  to  the  area  of  the 
State  of  Connecticut,  and  would  make  three  States  of 
the  size  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  leaving  768 
square  miles.  The  whole  of  this  county  lies  east  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  The  surface  is  rugged,  and 
interspersed  with  elevated  mountains,  lakes,  valleys, 
and  forests.  The  loftiest  mountains  in  the  State  are  in 
this  county.  The  climate  is  mild:  snow  falls  upon  the 
mountain  ranges  in  winter,  but  it  is  never  very  cold, 
and  throughout  the  whole  year  sheep,  cattle,  and  horses 
graze  upon  the  hillsides  and  valleys.  There  is  but  little 
rainfall,  and  the  summers  are  generally  very  warm.  In 
the  region  about  Owens  lake  and  Owens  river  there 
is  a  considerable  area  of  the  most  fertile  land  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  many  small  valleys  of  great  richness  through- 
out the  county,  many  of  which  are  cultivated  with  great 
profit.  There  are  some  forest  trees  upon  the  moun- 
tains and  hill-sides,  but  a  large  area  of  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  county  is  destitute  of  trees,  and  is  but  a 
sandy  desert.  Springs  of  salt,  sulphur,  alkaline,  soda, 
and  poison  are  found;  and  mines  of  gold,  silver,  tin, 
lead,  and  copper,  of  great  richness,  exist.     Lead  is  ex- 


5o6 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


tensively  mined,  and  veins  of  quartz,  rich  in  free  gold, 
are  worked  witli  great  profit.  The  remoteness  of  the 
county  has,  so  far,  much  retarded  its  development. 
Mining,  grazing,  and  agriculture  are  the  chief  resources 
of  this  section.  Grain,  vegetables,  and  fruit,  including 
grapes,  oranges,  lemons,  figs,  and  olives,  grow,  and  the, 
mulberry  thrives  well. 

The  whole  population  of  the  county  is  but  1,956;  of 
whom  1,104  ^""^  native  Americans  and  792  are  of  foreign 
birth.  Independence,  the  county-seat,  has  a  population 
of  400.  Cerro  Gordo,  Bend  City,  Kearsarge,  Lone 
Pine,  and  Lake  City  are  small  towns  in  the  county.  It 
was  in  this  county,  in  the  vicinity  of  Lone  Pine,  that  the 
severest  earthquake  ever  experienced  in  the  United 
States  occurred,  in  March,  1872,  as  described  in  a  pre- 
ceding chapter. 

Mono. — The  next  county  northward  is  Mono.  Like 
Inyo,  it  lies  entirely  east  of  the  Sierras,  and  these  two 
counties  are  the  only  ones  in  the  State  east  of  that  chain 
of  mountains.  Mono  runs  along  the  Sierras  for  a  dis- 
tance of.  170  mii.LS,  and  is  about  40-miles  in  width,  but 
growing  narrow  toward  its  northern  end.  The  area  of 
this  county  is  4,1 76  square  miles — double  the  size  of  the 
State  of  Delaware,  and  more  than  three  times  as  large 
as  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  It  has  the  smallest  popu- 
lation of  any  county  in  the  State — 430 ;  of  whom  305 
are  native  Americans  and  125  are  of  foreign  birth. 

The  remoteness  of  this  section  from  markets  and  the 
lack  of  means  of  transportation,  more  than  the  want  of 
natural  resources,  have  retarded  the  progress  of  this 
county.  The  surface  of  Mono  is  rugged  and  generally 
well  wooded,  particularly  upon  its  western  side.    Owens 


and   other  ri 

county.     MoL 

of  wonderful  f 

the  county  th 

there  are  also 

tible  of  high 

fruit  grow  wel 

the  grape  liav 

rrning  are  the 

and  grazing  z 

gold,  silver,  an 

very  litde  dev( 

considerable  si 

the  valleys  it  is 

grasses  throug! 

dry,  and  hot,  bi 

Benton  and 

importance  in  t 

the  Sierras,  in 

Mariposa. — ' 
lake  and  upon 
mountains,  anc 
San  Francisco, 
by  Mono,  soutl 
has  an  area  of 
4»572 ;  of  whon 
are  of  foreign  bi 
sified  with  mou 
tiful  valleys,  da 
Here   are   the 
Yosemite  Valley 
in  the  Sierras  si| 


Mountain  counties. 


507 


and  other  rivers  have  their  fountain-heads  in  this 
county.  Mountains  of  considerable  altitude  and  lakes 
of  wonderful  fluids  exist.  Toward  the  eastern  side  of 
the  county  there  are  wide  areas  unfit  for  tillage,  but 
there  are  also  many  beautiful  and  fertile  valleys  suscep- 
tible of  high  cultivation ;  and  grain,  vegetables,  and 
fruit  grow  well.  None  of  the  semi-tropical  fruits  nor 
the  grape  have  yet  been  culdvated.  Agriculture  and 
mming  are  the  chief  resources  of  the  county.  Farming 
and  grazing  are  profitably  conducted,  and  mines  of 
gold,  silver,  and  other  minerals  are  found,  but  are  yet 
very  little  developed.  The  climate  is  cold  in  winter, 
considerable  snow  falling  upon  the  mountains,  but  in 
the  valleys  it  is  mild,  and  cattle  graze  upon  the  native 
grasses  throughout  the  whole  year.  Summer  is  long, 
dry,  and  hot,  but  most  agreeable. 

Benton  and  Bridgeport  are  the  only  towns  of  any 
importance  in  the  county ;  the  latter  town,  situated  near 
the  Sierras,  in  the  Big  Meadows,  is  the  county-seat. 

Mariposa. — This  county  lies  directly  west  of  Mono 
lake  and  upon  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains,  and  is  almost  directly  east  from  the  city  of 
San  Francisco.  It  is  bounded  north  by  Tuolumne,  east 
by  Mono,  south  by  Fresno,  and  west  by  Merced ;  and 
has  an  area  of  1,440  square  miles  and  a  population  of 
4,572  ;  of  whom  2,192  only  are  Americans,  while  2,380 
are  of  foreign  birth.  The  surface  of  the  country  i  diver- 
sified with  mountains,  rolling  hills,  dense  forests,  beau- 
tiful valleys,  dashing  streams,  and  delightful  water-falls. 
Here  are  the  celebrated  Bt£-  Trees  and  the  famed 
Yosetnite  Valley  a7td  Falls.  In  that  portion  of  the  county 
in  the  Sierras  snow  falls  to  considerable  depth  in  winter. 


' 


! 


5o8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


but  along  the  western  side  snow  is  rarely  seen,  and 
cattle  and  sheep  graze  the  year  round  upon  the  native 
grasses.  Summer  in  the  Sierras  is  delightful,  the 
forests,  foliage,  and  grass  being  green,  while  in  the 
valleys  below  all  is  parched  with  heat.  A  great  portion 
of  the  county  is  suited  to  grazing  and  farrriing,  and  each 
year  these  pursuits  are  receiving  more  attention.  Fruit- 
growing is  conducted  upon  a  large  scale,  and  with 
profit.  The  fig,  olive,  grape,  mulberry,  almond,  and 
orange  grow,  but  not  so  well  as  in  counties  farther 
south,  Mariposa  possesses  great  mineral  wealth,  and 
veins  of  quartz  rich  in  gold  have  been  and  are  still 
worked  w'th  great  profit.  This  is  the  most  southern 
county  oi  the  chain  of  early  mining  counties  extending 
northward  from  this  point.  The  principal  towns  in  the 
county  are  Bear  Valley,  Coulterville,  Hornitos,  and 
Mariposa,  the  county-seat. 


Tuolumne. — North  of  Mariposa,  and  extending  from 
the  crest  of  the  Sierras  to  the  San  Joaquin  valley  in  the 
west,  a  distance  of  70  miles,  is  the  county  of  Tuolumne, 
with  an  area  of  1,944  square  niiles,  and  a  population  of 
8,150;  of  whom  4,182  are  native  American  and  3,968 
are  of  foreign  birth.  The  county  is  bounded  northwest 
by  Calaveras,  north  by  Alpine,  east  by  Mono,  south  by 
Mariposa,  and  southwest  by  Stanislaus. 

This  county  is  famous  in  the  early  history  of  Cali- 
fornia for  its  rich  placer  mines,  and  still  pt'oduces 
largely  of  the  precious  metals ;  but,  like  many  of  the 
mining  counties,  the  placers  are  much  exhausted,  and 
quartz-mining  has  taken  the  place  of  th  i  crevice-knife, 
pan,  and  shovel  of  the  past.  The  county,  once  almost 
depopulated  upon  the  failure  of  the  gold  placers,  is  now 


thro  I 

are 

a  Coc 

in  th 

extei 

like 

until 


MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


509 


fast  developing  its  inexhaustible  resources  in  producing 
grain,  vegetables,  and  fruit;  and  now,  in  its  new  pros- 
perity, the  vast  canals,  ditches,  and  flumes  built  and 
abandoned  by  the  early  miner,  carry  water  to  blooming 
gardens,  orchards,  vineyards,  and  waving  fields  of  wheat 
and  corn. 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  rugged,  and  throughout 
its  eastern  end  is  covered  with  vast  forests  of  oak,  pine, 
and  otner  valuable  timber,  some  of  which  grow  to 
great  size.  The  county  is  well  watered  with  numerous 
dashing  streams,  fed  by  the  snows  of  the  Sierras. 
Throughout  this  section  there  are  innumerable  beauti- 
ful and  fertile  valleys ;  and  the  foot-hills  and  rolling, 
gravelly  ridges,  heretofore  supposed  to  be  worthless, 
are  the  finest  grape -lands  in  the  State,  producing  a 
rich,  svveet  grape,  from  which  the  choicest  wines  are 
produced.  Apples,  grapes,  peaches,  and  the  lemon, 
almond,  walnut,  mulberry,  fig,  and  orange  grow  in  the 
western  slope  of  the  county. 

The  climate  of  this  section  is  charming.  Snow  fall^^ 
in  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  to  considerable  depth, 
and  winter  is  cold,  but  this  is  only  confined  to  the 
mountain^.  In  the  valleys  and  lower  foot-hills  snow 
nevci  falls ;  and  in  these  sections  it  is  perpetual  sum- 
mer. In  the  mountains,  in  summer,  the  foliage  is  charm- 
ing ;  and  the  wide  ranges  of  native  grasses,  green 
throughout  the  whole  summer,  while  the  valleys  below 
are  parched  with  heat,  afford  excellent  pasturage  and 
a  Cool  and  delightful  retreat  irom  the  heat  of  summer 
in  the  low  valley  counties.  Rain  falls  to  considerable 
extent  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  in  winter;  but, 
like  all  the  rest  of  the  State,  no  rain  falls  from  April 
until  November. 


^    i 


5IO 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  principal  towns  in  the  county  are  Sonora,  the 
county-seat,  with  a  population  of  2,498,  and  Columbia, 
with  a  population  of  2,200.  Chinese  Camp,  Big  Oak 
Flat,  and  Springfield  are  towns  of  some  importance. 


-  Calaveras. — Northwest  of  Tuolumne  county  Is  the 
county  of  Calaveras,  with  an  area  of  936  squ:ire  miles, 
and  a  population  of  8,895;  consisting  of  * -'^>/ ,  -atlve 
Americans  and  4,218  foreigners.  It  is  boui.  it^i  iiorth- 
west  by  Amador,  east  and  southeast  by  Alpine  and 
Tuolumne,  (Alpine  lying  between  it  and  the  crest  of 
the  Sierras,)  and  southeast  by  Stanislaus  and  San 
Joaquin.  The  surface  of  the  country  Is  rugged,  with 
abrupt  mountains,  deep  canons,  and  rolling  hills.  In 
the  eastern  section  there  are  vast  forests,  and  here  are 
the  famous  *^Big  Trees  of  Calaveras^'  numbered  by 
hundreds,  some  of  which  are  hundreds  of  feet  in  height 
and  more  than  thirty  feet  in  diameter.  The  western 
slope  of  the  county  has  many  beautiful  and  fertile  vr  i- 
leys  which  are  cultivated  successfully,  and  the  roi  ny 
hills  produce  abundantly  of  superior  grapes.  Fruit  01 
almost  every  variety  grows,  including  the  orange,  fig, 
and  lemon;  but  these  do  not  thrive  so  well  as  in  the 
more  southern  section  of  the  State.  Calaveras  is  well 
watered  by  several  rivers  of  magnitude. 

But  a  few  years  ago,  tliis  section  was  regarded  as  a 
purely  mining  region;  and,  upon  the  decay  of  the  rl  :er 
gold-mines,  people  left  the  county  in  great  nun- (v -is 
and  disgust.  Should  the  miner  of  "'49-50"  now  reti^'ni, 
he  would  find  wheat-fields,  orcl)ar»]s>  vineyards,  and 
gardens  growing  upon  the  hilis  an  J!  in  the  gulches 
abandoned  as  worthless  years  ago,  sheep  and   cattle 


^MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


511 


i 


grazing  upon  the  hills,  and  the  school-house  standing 
upon  the  ruins  of  his  once  lonely  bachelor  cabin. 

Surface-mining  is  pretty  well  exhausted  in  Calaveras 
county,  but  mining  in  quartz,  bank,  and  river  :s  still 
carried  on  to  consid  arable  extent.  At  this  period,  the 
resources  of  the  county  are  mining,  agriculture,  and 
stock-raising. 

The  climate  is  delightful:  in  the  eastern  end  of  the 
county  snow  falls  in  winter,  but  cold  is  never  intense ; 
throughout  the  southern  and  western  sections  a  little 
snow  falls  upon  the  hills,  but  in  the  valleys  it  is  con- 
tinuous summer.  Considerable  rain  falls  in  what  is 
called  winter,  and  the  summers  are  long,  dry,  and  exces- 
sively hot  in  some  places. 

There  are  several  towns  of  importance  in  the  county: 
Angel's  Camp,  Mokelumne  Hill,  Campo  Seco,  Copper- 
opolis,  and  San  Andreas,  the  county-seat,  are  the  chief 
ones. 


I 


Amador. — Lying  directly  north  of  Calaveras,  and 
occupying  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierras,  is  the  county  of 
Amador;  bounded  north  by  El  Dorado,  east  by  Alpine, 
south  by  Calaveras,  a.id  west  by  Sacramento  and  San 
Joaquin,  and  with  an  area  c'i  700  square  miles,  and  a 
population  of  9,582;  of  whom  5,449  are  native  American 
and  4,133  of  foreign  birth. 

Portions  of  this  county,  toward  the  east,  are  well 
timbered,  and  the  country  generally  is  well  watered. 
The  surface  is  rugged,  but  toward  the  western  end  of 
the  county  there  are  many  rich  valleys  and  a  large  area 
of  agricultural  lands  unsurpassed  in  the  production  of 
the  grape  and  fruits  of  almost  every  description;  and, 
aUhough  a  portion  of  the  county  is  well  up  in  the  snow 


I 


512 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


line  of  the  Sierras,  the  orange,  fig,  lemon,  and  mulberry 
grow  well.  A  few  years  since  the  county  was  regarded 
as  worthless  for  agricultural  purposes,  and  was  to  a 
great  extent  abandoned  by  the  miners  on  the  exhaus- 
tion of  the  placer-mines;  but  now  the  character  of  the 
loil  is  more  fully  understood,  and  orchards,  vine- 
3,  and  dairies  stand  upon  the  hiii-sides  and  in  the 
gu  ues  abandoned  by  the  early  gold-hunter,  and  the 
ditches  and  flumes  so  long  forsaken  are  again  musi- 
cal with  their  crystal  streams,  nourishing  and  invigorat- 
ing orchards  and  vines  by  the  side  of  the  quartz-mill 
and  the  deserted  camp  of  the  departed  miner.  Mines 
of  great  richness  were  formerly  worked  in  this  county, 
but  at  present  the  gold  yield  is  chiefly  from  quartz- 
ledges,  many  of  which  are  worked  with  great  profit. 

The  climate  of  Amador  is  varied.  In  the  high 
mountains  snow  falls  to  considerable  depth,  and  during 
winter  the  weather  is  cold,  but  the  snow  is  of  short 
duration,  and  toward  the  western  section  of  the  county 
it  is  perpetual  summer;  true,  the  snow  from  the  Sierras 
send  down  a  thin  fringe,  but  it  is  soon  dissolved.  Cattle, 
sheep,  and  horses  graze  at  large  during  the  whole  year. 
The  heat  of  summer  is  great  in  some  places,  but  toward 
the  Sierras  the  foliage,  forests,  and  grass  are  green,  and 
the  air  balmy  and  delightful. 

There  are  several  towns  in  this  county;  the  most 
prominent  of  which  are  Jackson,  the  county-seat,  with 
a  population  of  2,411,  Fiddletown,  Drytown,  lone, 
SuLter  Creek,  and  Volcano. 

Alpine. — Directly  east  of  Amador,  and  with  the 
crest  of  the  Sierras  in  its  centre — one-half  of  the 
county  being  east  of  this  range — is  the  county  of  Al- 


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IdOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


513 


pine.  It  is  bounded  north  and  northwest  by  El  Dorado, 
east  by  the  State  of  Nevada,  south  by  Tuolumne,  and 
west  by  Calaveras,  Amador,  and  a  part  of  El  Dorado. 
The  surface  of  this  country  is  very  rugged,  many  peaks 
of  the  Sierras  standing  more  than  ten  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea.  A  great  portion  of  the  county  is 
densely  timbered  with  forests  of  great  beauty  and 
value.  Several  rapid  streams  course  down  the  moun- 
tain sides,  affording  abundant  motive  power.  Through- 
out the  county  there  are  many  small  valleys  of  great 
fertility,  and  the  various  branches  of  agriculture  and 
grazing  are  carried  on  to  considerable  extent.  Mines 
of  gold,  silver,  copper,  and  other  minerals  are  found, 
and  quartz-mining  is  carried  on  very  profitably.  As  a 
grazing  country  it  is  excellent.  Cattle  and  sheep  graze 
at  large  throughout  the  whole  winter,  and  during  sum- 
mer, when  the  lower  counties  are  parched,  the  native 
grasses  and  herbage  are  green,  and  the  climate  charm- 
ing, being  neither  too  hot  nor  too  cool.  Winter  is  cold, 
stormy,  and  boisterous,  snow  falling  to  a  great  depth 
upon  the  high  mountains,  but  frost  is  not  so  intense  as 
in  portions  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  and  the  real  cold 
weather  is'but  of  short  duration. 

The  area  of  Alpine  is  850  square  miles,  and  its  popu- 
lation but  685;  of  whom  485  are  native  Americans  and 
2CXD  are  of  foreign  birth.  The  hardier  varieties  of  fruit 
all  grow  well,  but  the  semi-tropical  fruits,  so  abundantly 
produced  in  many  of  the  counties  of  the  State,  do  not 
grow  here.  Monitor,  Markleeville,  and  Silver  Moun- 
tain, the  county-stat,  are  the  principal  towns. 

El  Dorado. — Extending  from  the  Sacramento  valley 
to  the  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  a  dis- 


514 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


tance  of  85  miles,  embracing  an  area  of  1,872  square 
rriiles,  and  containing'  a  portion  of  Lake  Tahoe  upon 
the  crest  of  the  Sierras,  and  with  a  population  of 
10,309,  consisting  of  6,287  Americans  and  4,022  for- 
eigners, is  the  county  of  El  Dorado,  celebrated  in  his- 
tory as  the  seat  of  the  first  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia by  Marshall  in  1848.  This  county  is  in  the 
heart  of  the  great  mining  region  of  California.  In  this 
county,  and  upon  either  side  of  it,  are  situated  the  river- 
beds, gulches,-  and  quartz  mines  from  which  so  many 
millions  of  gold  have  been  extracted.  El  Dorado  pos- 
sesses a  variety  of  soil,  scenery,  climate,  and  resources. 
In  the  mountain  section  lofty  spurs  and  crags  of  the 
Sierras  lift  their  bald  heads,  and  snow  and  frost  repre- 
sent winter;  but  even  in  the  coldest  portions  of  the 
Sierras  winter  is  short  and  mild,  as  compared  with 
many  parts  of  the  Atlantic  coast.  In  the  mountain 
section  of  the  county  forests  of  great  beauty  and  value 
exist,  and  dashing  streams,  passing  furiously  through 
deep  canons  and  ravmes,  lend  a  charming  aspect  to  the 
country.  In  the  western  portion  snow  never  falls,  and 
here  it  may  be  called  perpetual  summer.  The  snow 
line  from  the  Sierras  struggles  hard  to  extend  its  fleecy 
fringe  into  the  valley,  but  the  warm  winds  and  rains 
dissolve  it  before  it  descends  far  down  the  foot-hills. 
Cattle  and  sheep  graze  at  large  throughout  the  whole 
year,  except  for  a  short  period  in  winter  in  a  portion  of 
the  Sierras.  Throughout  the  valleys  there  are  wide 
pasture-ranges,  and  the  Sierras  in  summer  are  green 
with  native  grasses  and  herbs,  affording  the  best  pas- 
ture-ranges in  the  State. 

Agriculture  is  fast  developing  the  great  resources  of 
this  section,  and  a  wealth  more  permanent  than  gold  or 


MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


515 


silver  is  to  be  seen  in  the  waving  corn-fields,  blooming 
orchards,  and  vineyards  now  so  successfully  cultivated 
upon  the  abandoned  fields  of  the  pioneer  gold-hunter. 
El  Dorado  is  second  only  to  the  county  of  Nevada  in 
quartz-mining  in  the  State,  and  is  sixth  in  the  counties 
of  the  State  in  the  growth  of  the  grape.  Coloma,  sit- 
uated thirty-five  miles  northeast  from  the  city  of  Sacra- 
mento, and  the  place  where  Marshall,  in  1848,  discov- 
ered gold,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  which,  for  so  many 
years,  were  enacted  the  wild  scenes  of  early  California 
life,  is  surrounded  with  blooming  orchards  and  clustering 
vines.  Fruit-growing  is  conducted  successfully  in  this 
county,  and  almost  every  variety  grows  well.  In  the 
western  parts  of  the  county  the  mulberry  grows  to  per- 
fection, and  the  lemon,  olive,  fig,  and  orange  are  culti- 
vated ;  but  these  latter  do  not  grow  so  well  as  they  do 
in  the  southern  section  of  the  State. 

There  are  a  number  of  towns  in  this  county :  Placer- 
ville,  the  county-seat,  with  a  population  of  1,562,  Colo- 
ma, Georgetown,  Diamond  Springs,  El  Dorado,  and 
Shingle  Springs  are  the  principal  ones.  Many  of  the 
early  mining  towns  in  this  county  are  abandoned,  and 
substantial  buildings,  costing  from  $5,000  to  $20,000  in 
their  erection  in  early  days,  are  inhabited  only  by  catde 
and  hogs;  but  the  corn-field,  the  vine,  and  the  fig  tree 
march  steadily  toward  and  overshadow  their  ruins. 


Placer. — North  of  El  Dorado,  and  extending  in  a 
range  of  eighty  miles  in  length  from  the  crest  of  the 
Sierras  to  within  eight  miles  of  the  Sacramento,  having 
an  average  width  of  eighteen  miles  and  an  area  of  1,386 
square  miles,  and  a  population  of  11,357,  made  up  of 
6,167  Americans  and  5,199  foreigners,  is  the  county  of 


5i6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Placer,  famous  for  its  rich  mines  of  gold,  and  partaking 
of  the  general  features  of  all  the  counties  in  this  moun- 
tain range.  A  portion  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  county- 
is  occupied  by  the  beautiful  Lake  Tahoe,  and  the  dash- 
ing Truckee  river  passes  through  a  portion  of  it. 
Jagged  mountain  peaks,  deep  gulches,  canons,  and 
dense  forests  occupy  a  great  portion  of  the  eastern  end 
of  the  county,  and  snow  falls  to  considerable  depth. 
Toward  the  Sacramento  a'*e  a  succession  of  rolling  hills 
and  rich  valleys,  and  the  climate  in  this  section  is  summer 
perpetually.  Here  nearly  every  branch  of  agriculture 
is  successfully  prosecuted.  The  grape  and  nearly  all 
the  semi-tropical  fruits,  including  the  lemon,  fig,  and 
orange,  grow.  Summer  in  the  mountain  ranges  is 
charming,  and  the  green  herbage  and  native  grasses 
afford  wide  pasture-ranges.  In  portions  of  the  western 
side  of  the  county  tlie  heat  of  summer  is  great,  but 
never  oppressive.  Cattle  and  sheep  graze  at  large 
during  the  whole  year,  and  altogether  the  climate  is 
delightful.  The  great  overland  railroad  passes  through 
this  county  a  distance  of  ninety  miles. 

Placer  is  bounded  north  by  Nevada,  east  by  the  State 
of  Nevada,  south  by  El  Dorado  and  Sacramento,  and 
west  and  northwest  by  Sutter,  Yuba,  and  Nevada. 

The  chief  resources  of  the  county  are  mining,  agri- 
culture, lumber,  and  dairying.  It  is  surpassed  .only  by 
two  counties  in  the  State  in  the  growing  of  peaches,  and 
is  the  fourth  county  in  the  State  in  the  production  of 
wine.  Auburn,  the  county-seat,  and  Colfax,  Cisco,  Dutch 
Flat,  iowa  Hill,  and  Forest  Hill,  are  the  principal  towns. 


Nevada.— Direcdy  north  of  Placer,  and  extending  in 
a  direct  line  from  the  State  line  of  Nevada  on  the  east 


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MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


517 


to   within   seventeen   miles  of  the   Feather  river,  nt 
Marysville,  a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles,  and  hav- 
ing an  average  width  of  fifteen  miles,  and  an  area  of 
1,026  square  miles,  is  the  county  of  Nevada,  celebrated 
in  the  history  of  California  as  the  greatest  gold-pro- 
ducing county  in  the  State.     Placer  and  bank  mines  of 
great  richness  have  long  been  worked  in  this  section ; 
but  the  quartz  mines  of  the  county  seem  inexhaustible, 
and  still  yield  beyond  comparison  with  any  gold  region 
in  the  world.     The  surfa- e  of  the  country  is  mountain- 
ous in  the  extreme  in  the  region  of  the  Sierras ;  here* 
too,  vast  forests  of  great  beauty  and  value  are  found, 
and  dashing  streams  and  beautiful  lakes  lend  a  charm 
to  the  delightful  scenery  of  this  section.     The  Truckee 
river,    pouring    its   flood   from    Lake    Tahoe,    passes 
through  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  county.     In  this 
quarter  snow  falls  to  considerable  depth  in  winter,  and 
for  a  brief  period  frost  is  severe ;  but  summer  is  de- 
lightful, and  the  native  grasses  upon  the  F'de-hills  and 
valleys  of  the  Sierras  afford  wide  and  excellent  pasture- 
ranges.     In  the  western  end  of  the  county,  toward  the 
Sacraniento  river,  the  surface  is  a  zeries  of  rolling  hills 
and  small  valleys.     Winter  never  reaches  this  section, 
and  here  cattle  and  sheep  graze  at  large  throughout  the 
whole  year,  and  fruits  of  almost  every  variety,  including 
many  of  the  semi-tropical,  grow.     The  grape,  fig,  and 
orange  are  cultivated,  and  gardening  and  dairying  are 
carried  on  to  considerable  extent.     Like  the  great  inte- 
rior of  California,  this  section  has  a  long,  dry,  and  hot 
summer;  but  the  cool  nights  keep  it  from  being  op- 
pressive, and  altogether  the  climate  is  delightful. 

Taken  altogether — the  inexhaustible  gold-mines,  the 
vast  forests,  and  diversified  agriculture  of  Nevada — it  is 


5i8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


one  of  the  most  prosperous  counties  in  the  St;ite.  The 
great  overland  railroad  in  its  course  passes  for  a  dis- 
tance of  thirteen  miles  through  the  eastern  end  of  the 
county  over  the  crest  of  the  Sierras ;  -  and  other  roads 
building  -will  add  greatly  to  the  development  of  this 
section. 

Nevada  county  is  bounded  north  by  Yuba  and  Si- 
erra counties,  east  by  the  State  of  Nevada,  south  by 
Placer,  and  west  by  Yuba.  The  population  is  19,134; 
of  whom  10,479  are  native  American  and  8,655  are  of 
foreign  birth.  There  are  several  growing  and  prosper- 
ous towns  in  the  county.  Nevada  City  is  the  county- 
seat,  and  is  a  place  of  considerable  population  and  im- 
portance. Grass  valley,  in  the  heart  of  the  richest 
mining  region  in  the  world,  is  an  incorporated  city,  with 
a  population  of  7,066.  Little  York,  French  Corral,  and 
North  San  Juan  are  towns  of  some  importance,  all  sur- 
rounded by  rich  mining  districts. 


Sierra. — Adjoining  Nevada  county  on  the  north, 
and  perched  high  in  the  Sierras,  bounded  north  by  Plu- 
mas and  Lassen,  east  by  the  State  of  Nevada,  south  by 
Nevada  county,  and  wast  by  Yuba  and  Plumas,  and 
embracing  an  area  of  830  square  miles,  and  with  a 
population  of  5,619,  of  whom  2,816  are  of  native 
American  and  2,803  are  of  foreign  birth,  is  the  county 
of  Sierra. 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  a  succession  of  abrupt 
mountains  and  jagged  peaks,  some  of  which  stand 
almost  nine  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  Numerous 
deep  canons  arid  gulrlies,  with  dashing  streams  and  deep 
forests,  lend  a  wild  but  picturesque  aspect  to  the  coun- 
try.    Small   valleys   of  great  beauty  and  fertility  are 


MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


519 


found,  and  graziiig,  dairying,  lumbering,  fruit-growing, 
farming,  and  mining  are  all  carried  on  successfully. 

Great  quantities  of  gold  have  been  extracted  from 
the  gravel  beds  and  rich  quartz  veins  of  this  county, 
and  fortunes  have  been  suddenly  realized  from  rich 
deposits  of  gold.  Sierra  is  still  only  second  to  Nevada 
county  in  her  yield  of  gold,  and  mines  of  permanent 
value  are  being  worked  with  great  profit,  and  new  and 
rich  discoveries  made  almost  daily. 

Snow  falls  to  considerable  depth  throughout  the 
eastern  end  of  the  county  in  winter,  and  frost  is  felt 
sometimes  to  a  great  extent;  but  toward  the  western  part 
of  the  county  but  little  snow  falls,  and  cattle  and  sheep 
graze  in  the  valleys  throughout  the  entire  year.  Almost 
every  variety  of  the  hardier  fruits  grow  well,  and  even 
the  fig  and  orange  have  been  grown  ,  but  none  of  the 
semi-tropical  fruits  do  well. 

There  are  no  towns  of  magnitude  in  Sierra  county. 
The  principal  ones  are  Downieville,  the  county-seat, 
Forest  City,  Brandy  City,  Howland  Flat,  and  Goodyear's 
Bar. 


Plumas. — North  of  i^'erra  county,  and  with  its  whole 
area  in  the  Sierra  Ni  .ada  mountains^  and  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  from  4,000  to  7,000  feet  above  d;e  level  of  the 
sea,  is  the  county  of  Plumas:  bounded  north  and  east  by 
Lassen,  south  by  Sierra,  and  west  by  Butte  and  Te- 
hama. The  area  of  this  alpine  county  is  2,736  square 
miles — equal  to  two  States  of  the  size  of  Rhode  Island 
and  124  square  miles  to  spare.  Plumas  has  a  popula- 
tion of  4,490,  divided  between  2,414  native  Ameri- 
cans and  2,075  foreigners,  and  several  growing  towns. 
Quincy,  the  county-seat,  has  a  population  of  640.     La 


520 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Porte,  Granville,  Meadow  Valley,  and  Taylorsville  are 
all  prosperous  towns. 

The  surface  of  the  country  is  a  succession  of  high 
moiuitains,  rolling  hills,  deep  cajfions,  dashing  streams, 
and  large,  fertile,  and  beautiful  valleys  of  unsurpassed 
agricultural  and  grazing  capacity.  Vast  areas  of  this 
county  are  covered  with  dense  forests  of  valuable  tim- 
ber, and  placer  and  quartz  mines  of  great  richness  are 
worked  with  profit.  Snow  falls  upon  the  high  moun- 
tain peaks  to  considerable  depth  in  winter ;  but  frost  is 
not  so  intense  as  in  portions  of  the  States  of  Virginia 
and  Tennessee,  and  in  the  valleys  and  ravines  cattle, 
horses,  and  sheep  pasture  throughout  the  whole  year. 
Summer  in  this  county  is  unlike  summer  in  the  valley 
counties.  In  Plumas,  although  the  heat  of  summer  is 
considerable,  yet  the  native  grasses  and  rich  herbage 
of  the  beautiful  valleys  and  of  the  hill-sides  are  fresh 
and  green,  and  the  eye  can  linger  with  increasing- 
admiration  upon  rich  meadows,  fields  of  corn,  deep 
forests,  blooming  orchards,  lofty  mountains, and  laughing 
streams,  frolicking  through  precipitate  gulches  and  turn- 
ing the  busy  wheels  of  the  quartz-mill.  Big  Meadow 
valley,  fifteen  miles  in  length  and  four  miles  in  breadth. 
Mountain  Meadows,  of  neprly  equal  size,  Indian  valley, 
eleven  miles  in  length  by  two  in  width,  American  val- 
ley, eleven  miles  in  length  i3y  four  miles  in  width,  are 
jnsurpassed  in  beauty  and  fertility  in  California;  here 
trarious  branches  of  farming  are  prosecuted  most  suc- 
:essfully.  Nearly  all  the  hardier  fruits — apples,  pears, 
peaches,  plums,  cherries,  and  the  grape — do  well.  Agri- 
culture, dairying,  fruit-growing,  lumbering,  and  mining 
are  the  resources  of  the  county. 


MOUNTAIN  COUNTIES. 


521 


Few  counties  in  California  possess  greater  natural 
resources  than  Plumas,  and  its  future  prosperity  is  in- 
sured by  its  rich  agricultural  and  grazing  lands. 


Lassen. — Directly  north  of  Plumas,  situated  in  the 
broken  spurs  of  the  Sierras,  and  east  of  the  main  chain 
of  these  mountains,  and  with  a  length  from  north  to 
south  along  the  line  of  the  State  of  Nevada  of  more 
than  100  miles,  and  containing  an  area  of  4,932  square 
miles — 182  square  miles  more  than  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut— is  Lassen  county-  bounded  north  by  Siskiyou, 
east  by  the  State  of  Nevada,  south  by  Sierra  and 
Plumas,  and  west  by  Plumas  and  Shasta. 

The  county  lies  almost  entirely  east  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains.  The  general  rliaracter  of  this  sec- 
tion is  essentially  '  ferent  from  the  counties  west  of 
that  range.  The  ro:  ng  hills  are  covered  with  dense 
forests  of  pine  and  other  tn  s.  Alkaline  plains  and 
sage  brush,  broad  lakes,  fertile  :  illcys,  ai  1  high  moun- 
tain peaks  make  up  the  physical  feature  ;  of  the 
country. 

In  winter  snow  falls  to  considerabl*  depth,  but  frost 
is  never  severe,  and  in  the  valleys  and  ravines  cattle, 
sheep,  and  horses  graze  throughout  the  hole  year. 
Summer  is  dry  and  warm,  but  not  uiir  dfortably  hot. 
A  great  portion  of  the  surface  is  covered  with  rich 
native  grasses,  green  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the 
year,  affording  wide  and  excellent  pasture-ranges.  Ag- 
riculture, grazing,  and  lumber  are  the  resources  of  this 
county.  In  the  valleys  grain,  vegetables,  and  the  har- 
dier fruits  all  grow  well,  and  dairying  and  lumbering  are 
successfully  prosecuted.     As  yet  but  little  has  been 


522 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


done  in  mining,  although  mines  of  considerable  impor- 
tance have  been  discovered. 

The  population  of  Lassen  county  is  1,327;  consisting 
of  1,178  native  Americans  and  149  foreigners.  Susan- 
ville,  the  county-seat,  has  a  population  of  640.  The 
other  towns  are  all  small. 

Siskiyou  county,  lying  diiectly  north  of  Lassen 
county,  and  extending  to  the  Oregon  line,  and  already 
described,  is  the  last  or  most  northern  one  of  the  tier 
of  mountain  counties,  folloving  the  range  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  mountains,  and  forming  the  great  gold  pro- 
ducing region  of  California. 


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THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 


523 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Pacific  coast — Oregon — Nevada —  Utah  — Arizona — Idaho — ^Wash- 
ington Territory — British  Columbia  and  Alaska. 

The  vast  region  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains, 
designated  the  Pacific  coasts  in  which  is  embraced  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon,  Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  Idaho,  a  part 
of  Montana,  Washington  Territory,  British  Columbia, 
and  Alaska,  contains  an  area  equal  to  one-half  of  the 
whole  territory  of  the  Republic  of  America.  The  three 
States  and, five  Territories  in  this  division  belonging  to 
the  United  States  contain  an  area  of  1,259,234  square 
miles,  and  British  Columbia  is  estimated  at  300,000 
square  miles  in  extent. 

Until  a  recent  period  this  wide  domain,  with  its  genial 
'  climate,  vast  forests,  great  mountains,  magnificent  rivers 
and  harbors,  broad  and  fertile  valleys,  ana  great  min- 
eral wealth,  was  comparatively  unknown,  even  to  the 
people  of  America;  and  although  new  States  have 
sprung  up,  cities  been  built,  rivers  navigated,  and  moun- 
tains pierced,  and  the  track  of  the  iron  horse  is  found 
on  mountain  side  and  valley,  and  the  seat  of  new,  vig- 
orous, and  happy  communities  find  permanent  lodgment 
in  the  rich  soil  of  the  new  civilization  of  the  Far  West, 
yet  but  little  is  known  of  the  country,  even  in  the 
States  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  thousands  of 
well-informed  persons  in  Europe  and  America  have 
never  heard  of  the  divisions  of  this  section,  nor  know 
their  location  nor  their  names. 

In  preceding  chapters,  that  portion  c^  the  Pacific 
coast  more  generally  known  abroad  on  account  of  the 


524 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


great  mineral  wealth,  agricultural  productions,  and 
matchless  natural  beauties  developed  and  brought  to 
light  since  the  discovery  of  gold  in  1848,  has  been  pre- 
sented to  the  reader ;  and  now  the  following  chapters 
will  be  devoted  to  briefly  setting  forth  the  physical  feat- 
ures, climate,  and  vast  resources  and  wonders  of  that 
wide  area  extending  from  the  scorching  sands  of  the 
Colorado  to  the  stern  heights  of  Oregon  and  the  grim, 
ice-bound  shores  of  northern  Alaska. 

The  area  embraced  within  the  succeeding  chapters 
is  entirely  distinct  in  climate,  soil,  productions,  animals, 
fish,  and  birds,  from  any  section  of  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Rocky  mountains ;  and,  together  with  Cali- 
fornia, contain  more  of  the  precious  metals  than  all  the 
world  besides  so  far  as  yet  discovered,  and  its  still  un- 
explored and  unoccupied  regions  afford  the  last  remain- 
ing refuge  for  that  large  element  of  wanderers  and 
adventurers  always  pushing  ahead  of  civilization,  seek- ' 
ing  new  discoveries,  new  homes,  and  new  acquaintances 
beyond  the  sound  of  church-bell  and  the  echo  of  the 
steam-whisde.  The  rancre  for  this  class  is  still  wide: 
the  red  man  and  the  mountain  deer  have  still  uncertain 
tenure  of  the  soil,  and  the  stately  elk  and  grim  bear 
look  out  from  their  forest  homes,  tempting  sport  for  the 
unerring  rifle  of  the  frontiersman  ;  and  when  the  vast 
regions  from  the  Colorado  to  Behring  Strait  cease  to 
aflbrd  attractions  to  the  pioneer,  man's  condition  will 
be  so  changed  that  the  new  civilization  built  upon  the 
lonely  wastes  will  afford  him  solace ;  or  other  planets 
will  be  discovered  in  which  the  primitive  forests  and 
howling  deserts  will  afford  him  an  asylum. 

The  marked  physical   features  of  that   portion   of 
America  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  so  well 


THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 


525 


defined  by  its  volcanic  origin  and  great  mineral  wealth, 
as  well  as  by  its  genial  climate  and  rich  soil,  give  it  a 
distinct  character  from  all  that  section  of  the  country 
east  of  the  great  mountain  division  of  the  continent. 

Coal,  iron,  lead,  copper,  and  petroleum  in  great 
abundance,  and  gold  and  silver  in  limited  quantities, 
have  been  found  east  of  the  Rocky  mountain  chain ; 
but  the  precious  metals  of  the  continent  lie  west  of  this 
division,  and  are  ''ound  in  and  about  the  Sierra  Nevada 
mountains — the  great  mother  lead  of  the  gold  and 
silver  of  the  American  continent. 

Brazil,  Chili,  Peru,  and  the  whole  region  of  South 
and  Central  America,  rich  in  gold  and  silver,  and  the 
Republic  of  Mexico,  so  famed  for  its  mineral  wealth* 
all  go  to  the  Sierra  range  for  their  metallic  treasures. 
California,  Arizona,  Colorado,  Nevada,  Utah,  Oregon, 
Idaho,  Montana,  Washington  Territory,  and  British 
Columbia — some  on  the  east  and  some  on  the  west  of 
this  range  of  mountains — all  derive  their  gold  and 
silver  from  the  main  chain,  or  from  the  arms  and  lat- 
erals of  the  Sierras,  which,  although  passing  under  dif- 
ferent names  in  different  sections,  is  but  the  same  grand 
mineral  chain,  entering  the  continent  at  Patagonia, 
passes  northward  through  the  whole  of  South  and 
Central  America,  Mexico,  California,  Oregon,  British 
Columbia,  and  Alaska,  until,  in  the  distant  west,  it  dips 
into  the  sea  on  the  frozen  shores  of  the  Arctic  ocean. 

The  early  history,  acquisition,  and  settlement  of  the 
several  sections  of  country  described  in  the  following 
chapters  will  be  found  fully  set  forth  in  preceding  por- 
tions of  this  volume,  so  that  what  follows  more  imme- 
diately relates  to  the  natural  resources,  development, 
and  material  growth  of  the  country. 


I 


J 


526 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE, 


OREGON. 

History— Geography— Climate — Seasons — Forests — Minerals — Min- 
ing— Agriculture —  Rivers —  Mountains — Resources — Progress — 
Area — Population — Cities — Society. 

Oregon,  as  originally  organized,  embraced,  besides 
the  area  of  the  present  State,  the  area  now  contained 
within  the  Territories  of  Idaho  and  Washington ;  and 
of  the  entire  domain  of  the  American  republic,  Oregon, 
as  originally  organized,  was  the  only  portion  acquired 
by  original  discovery. 

The  thirteen  original  colonies  were  taken  from  Great 
Britain  by  conquest;  besides,  Virginia  claimed,  under 
her  original  charter  from  England,  an  undefined  tract, 
covering  what  was  known  as  the  "Northwestern  Terri- 
tory," embracing  the  area  of  the  present  States  of  Ohio, 
Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin.  This  claim 
Virginia  granted  to  the  federal  government  in  1787, 
and  it  became  a  part  of  the  aggregate  territory  of  the 
republic.  The  whole  territory  of  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  except  the  State  of  Florida 
and  a  part  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  was  acquired  by 
the  United  States  with  the  thirteen  original  colonies. 
As  compensation  for  spoliations  upon  American  com- 
merce by  Spain,  the  Spanish  crown  ceded  to  the  United 
States,  in  1819,  the  territory  embraced  in  the  State  of 
Florida  and  the  southern  section  of  the  State  of  Mis- 
sissippi. The  purchase  of  Louisiana  by  the  American 
government  from  the  French,  in  1803,  placed  the 
Americans  in  the  possession  of  the  vast  region  lying 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  extending  its  boundaries 
to  the  Rocky  mountains  in  the  west,  the  Briiish  posses- 
sions in  the  north,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south. 


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527 


Texas  was  acqulr.^d  by  annexation  in  1845,  and  New 
Mexico  and  Colorado  by  conquest  and  treaty  with 
Mexico  after  the  war  of  1 846-8 ;  and  Alaska  was  ac- 
quired by  purchase  from  Russia  in  1867. 

Oregon,  discovered  by  Captain  Gray,  of  Boston,  in 
1 792,  was  explored  by  authority  of  the  United  States, 
by  Lewis  and  Clark,  in  1804-5.  I"  1808,  the  Misiouri 
Fur  Company  established  a  post  on  the  head  waters  of 
the  Snake  or  Lewis  river;  and,  in  181 1,  John  Jacob 
Astor,  of  New  York,  founded  the  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
at  Astoria,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Columbia.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  settlement  in  the  country.  At  a 
more  remote  period,  the  Hudson  Bay^Fur  Company, 
an  English  incorporation,  was  established  in  Oregon. 
This  latter  company,  by  its  factors  and  employes,  held 
almost  despotic  sway  over  the  native  tribes  and  white 
setders  until  1850. 

As  early  as  1830,  emigrants  were  making  their  way 
over  the  Rocky  mountains  and  into  Oregon.  The  lib- 
eral inducement  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
free  to  every  head  of  a  family  and  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  to  each  person  twenty-one  years  of  age 
emigrating  to  the  Territory,  offered  by  Congress,  had, 
up  to  1849,  attracted  considerable  emigration;  so  that 
when  the  gold-fields  of  California,  in  1849,  attracted 
their  thousands  of  miners,  Oregon  was  prepared  to 
supply  flour,  lumber,  butter,  eggs,  cheese,  and  fruit  to 
the  gold-hunter  who  roamed  over  the  then  unfilled 
valleys  of  California. 

In  1843,  Oregon  was  organized  as  a  Territory,  and 
on  the  1 2th  of  February,  1859,  was  adi.iltted  a  State 
into  the  Union.  The  State  is  bounded  on  the  south 
by  the  northern  line  of  California  and  a  part  of  the 


528 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


State  of  Nevada,  east  by  Idaho,  north  by  the  River 
Columbia,  and  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean.  The  south- 
ern line  of  Oregon,  where  it  joins  the  State  of  Califor- 
nia, is  in  the  fort}^'-second  parallel  of  north  latitude,  and 
the  northern  line,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river, 
is  in  46°  20'  of  north  latitude. 

The  area  of  Or  gon  is  95,274  square  mlles^ — about 
61,000,000  acres;  and  the  population,  in  1870,  was 
90,776,  of  whom  86,929  were  white,  346  colored,  3,330 
Chinese;  and  79,323  were  of  native  American  birth  and 
11,600  of  foreiirn  birth. 

The  physical  features  of  Oregon  are  rugged  hills 
covered  with  fir  and  oak  trees ;  lofty  mountains  clad  in 
perpetual  snow;  vast  and  dense  forests  of  fir  and 
cedar;  rolling  hills  of  deep  rich  soil;  extensive  valleys 
of  perpetual  verdure  and  unsurpassed  productiveness; 
numerous  lakes,  springs,  and  streams;  majestic  rivers, 
whose  cascades,  combined  with  a  rich  forest  scener)', 
make  Oregon  one  of  the  most  picturesque  quarters 
of  the  republic. 

The  climate  of  Oregon  is  mild.  Winter,  which  com- 
mences in  December,  casts  its  mantle  of  snow  upon 
the  elevated  hills,  and  burnishes  anew  the  high  moun- 
tain peaks  where  summer  heats  are  unknown. 

Throughout  the  forest  and  valley  districts  snow  and 
ice  are  rarely  seen;  and,  in  the  Wallamet  and  other 
principal  agricultural  valleys,  it  is  perpetual  summer. 
Once  perhaps  during  each  winter  a  few  inches  of  snow 
will  fall,  but  in  most  of  cases  it  is  swept  away  either  by 
rain  or  the  heat  of  the  sun  in  one  or  two  days;  some- 
times it  may  linger  for  a  week,  but  this  is  rare.  Ice  of 
a  few  inches  in  thickness  is  formed  durinir  each  winter 
in  some  places,  but  It  remains  only  for  a  few  days;  and, 


OREGON. 


529 


in  the  agricultural  and  grazing  districts,  sheep,  horses, 
and  cattle  run  at  large  and  forage  during  the  whole 
season.  But  there  are  periods  in  severe  winters  when 
snow  and  cold  rains  are  disastrous  to  stock,  and  when 
the  kindly  hand  of  the  farmer  is  necessary  to  supply 
them  with  food;  but  generally  grass  is  green  through- 
out the  whole  year,  and  all  stock  live  at  large  in  the 
open  air. 

At  Astoria,  and  along  the  v/hole  Coast  Range,  rain 
falls  in  great  abundance  during  the  winter  and  spring; 
but  in  the  interior,  and  particularly  in  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  the  State,  the  rainfall  is  not  half  so  great  as 
upon  the  Coast  Range,  and  the  winters,  generally  rainy, 
are  warm  and  pleasant. 

Fields  of  growing  grain  covering  the  ground  may 
be  seen  in  the  months  of  January  and  February,  and 
vegetables  grow  throughout  the  whole  year.  In  Ore- 
gon, as  in  California,  it  is  not  easy  to  draw  the  lines 
dividing  the  seasons.  Winter  is  known  only  by  the 
presence  of  a  greater  amount  of  rain  and  a  little  colder 
weather ;  summer  is  mild,  with  showers  of  rain,  blended 
well  into  the  late  spring  season  and  early  summer,  and 
the  excessive  heats  of  the  Atlantic  States  are  unknown. 

The  hottest  days  are  not  oppressive,  owing  to  the 
coolness  of  the  nights.  Once  in  a  great  while  the  heat 
of  summer  will  reach  one  hundred  and  ten  degrees  in 
the  shade  ;  but,  owing  to  the  cool  nights,  the  heat  does 
not  reach  its  greatest  extent  until  early  in  the  afternoon, 
lasting  only  three  or  four  hours  during  the  day. 

Oregon  is  as  far  north  as  the  northern  boundary  of 

the  State  of  Maine,  but  the  degrees  of  cold  in  each  are 

very  different.     In  many  parts  of  Oregon  winter  never 

reaches   the   freezing-point;    while    in    Maine  for   six 
34 


530 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


months  it  is  perpetual  winter,  where  frost  and  piercing 
winds  carry  terror  before  them. 

The  climate  of  Oregon  is  milder  than  the  climate  of 
either  Virginia, Kentucky,  or  Tennessee;  and  at  Astoria, 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  river,  the  average  tempera- 
ture is  little  different  from  that  of  San  Francisco ;  the 
annual  temperature  being  in  summer  fifty-two  and  in 
winter  forty-two  degrees  above  zero. 

The  wide  agricultural  and  grazing  ranges  of  Oregon 
are  well  supplied  with  copious  streams  from  the  moun- 
tain sides;  and  the  water-power  of  the  State,  which 
might  easily  be  employed  in  turning  the  wheels  of  me- 
chanical industry,  is  not  surpassed  in  the  United  States. 
The  Falls  of  the  Wallamet,  at  Oregon  City,  are  of 
great  volume  and  force;  and  the  majestic  Columbia, 
having  its  source  in  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  far  in  the  interior  of  British  Columbia, 
where  it  is  fed  by  the  eternal  snows  of  that  region, 
coursing  through  British  Columbia,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory, and  for  more  than  three  hundred  miles  forming 
the  northern  boundary  of  Oregon,  with  its  cascades  and 
numerous  falls,  affords  unlimited  motive-power.  The 
River  Columbia,  forming  the  boundary  between  Ore- 
gon and  Washington  Territory,  may  be  classed  among 
the  most  important  navigable  rivers  of  the  world,  and 
is  surpassed  in  extent  only  by  one  river  on  the  whole 
Pacific  coast  of  America  —  the  majestic  Yukon,  of 
Alaska,  flowing  for  more  than  two  thousand  miles 
toward  the  sea. 

At  the  historic  town  of  Astoria,  in  Oregon,  whore 
the  Columbia  empties  into  the  Pacific  ocean,  it  is  a 
broad  and  noble  stream;  and  for  one  hundred  and  sixty 
miles — to  the  Cascades — affords  a  navigable  course  for 


HORSE-TAIL   FALL,   COLUMHIA    KIVKR. 


VIEW  UN  THE  COLUMBIA  RIVER. 


OREGON, 


531 


I 


ships  and  large  ocean-steamers.  At  this  point  a  rail- 
road of  six  miles  in  length,  on  the  Washington  Terri- 
tiry  side,  and  which  was  completed  on  the  21st  of 
April,  1S63,  and  a  road,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles, 
built  in  1864,  at  the  Dalles,  lead  to  the  waters  above; 
where,  for  a  distance  of  more  than  four  hundred  ad- 
ditional miles,  the  Columbia  is  navigated  by  steamers 
and  sailing  vessels ;  Lewiston,  on  the  Snake  river,  in 
Idah<\  being  the  head  of  navigation  upon  its  southern 
branch.  But  continuing-  the  course  of  the  main  Colum- 
bia  still  beyond  Wallula  and  the  large  lakes  through 
which  it  passes  through  British  America,  it  is  navigable 
for  light  draught  boats  for  one  thousand  miles  from  the 
ocean,  the  only  obstacle  bsing  the  cascades  and  the 
wide  bar  lying  outside  the  mouth  of  the  river,  where 
the  channel  is  shifting,  the  water  shallow,  and  generally 
a  heavy,  rolling  sea,  rendering  navigation  perilous. 

The  next  river  of  magnitude  in  Oregon  is  the  Wal- 
lamet,  having  its  source  in  the  eastern  side  of  the  Cas- 
cade ;ange  of  mountains,  and  running  from  cast  to  west 
a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles, 
passing  through  the  centre  of  the  extensive  and  fertile 
valley  of  the  Wallamet,  forming  the  falls  at  Oregon 
City,  and  emptying  itself  into  the  Columbia  twelve 
miles  below  the  city  of  Portland,  the  chief  city  of  Ore- 
gon, and  the  head  of  navigation  for  ocean  vessels  on 
the  Wallamet. 

From  the  mouth  ot  the  Wallamet,  twelve  miles  below 
Portland,  to  the  latter  city,  ocean  steamers  run  regu- 
larly; and  from  that  city  to  the  Oregon  City  falls,  a  dis- 
tance of  twelve  miles  above  Portland,  steamers  of  light 
draught  have  navigated  for  the  last  twenty  years,  and 
above  the  falls,  for  the  wliole  length  of  the  W^allamet, 


532 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


small  Steamers  run;  and  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years  the  waters  of  the  Wallamet  and  Columbia  have 
been  the  only  highAvay  and  outlet  of  all  the  business 
and  commerce  of  Oregon. 

Lincb  of  railroads  now  in  operation  and  building 
throughout  Oregon  will  connect  that  State  with  Cali- 
fornia on  the  south,  Puget  sound  on  the  northwest,  and, 
joining  the  gr^at  overland  road,  will  place  the  hereto- 
fore isolated  State  of  Oregon  in  direct  railroad  com- 
munication with  all  parts  of  the  Pacific  coast,  and  open 
up  a  market  for  her  rich  products  in  all  parts  of  the 
Atlantic  States,  the  Pacific  coast,.and  Asia. 

In  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  State  are  several 
rivers  of  magnitude — the  Des  Chutes,  John  Days,  Uma- 
tilla, Lewis  or  Snake  river,  being  the  principal  ones.  . 

The  sea-coast  of  Oregon  from  its  northern  extremity 
to  the  California  boundary  is  almost  a  straight  line  from 
north  to  south,  without  any  prominent  capes  or  head- 
lands. Numerous  inlets  and  harbors  indent  the  coast; 
but  there  is  no  river  of  any  great  magnitude  south  of 
the  Columbia. 

The  Rogue,  Umpqua,  Coquett,  and  Yaqulna  are  the 
chief  rivers  on  the  coast  line.  They  are  all  navigable 
for  a  short  distance  for  steamers  of  light  draught, 
and  settlement  is  fast  making  in  the  rich  valleys  by 
which  they  are  surrounded.  Oregon  is  celebrated  for 
its  scenery — stalwart  mountains,  dashing  streams,  and 
lofty  forest  trees.  Mounts  Jefferson  and  McLaughlin  lift 
their  venerable  heads  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  they,  with  many  others  whose  summits  are  per- 
petual snow,  standing  above  the  dense  fir  forests  and 
green  fields  of  summer,  present  a  panorama  of  unsur- 
passed beauty;  but  towering  above  all,  and  looking 


OREGON. 


533 


down  upon  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Wallamet,  with 
its  meandering  streams,  tall  forests,  cultivated  fields, 
blooming  orchards,  vast  herds  and  flocks,  active  indus- 
try, and  happy  homes,  is  Mount  Hood,  nature's  grand- 
est monument  in  the  wilderness,  lifting  its  head  1 1,218 
feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  teaching  the  lesson  of 
ages  to  the  beholder.  This  sentinel  of  eternity,  wrapped 
in  his  fleecy  robes  of  ermine,  looks  from  his  throne  of 
clouds  upon  the  busy  scenes  of  men,  and  out  upon  the 
crested  main  of  the  ocean,  whose  cooling  breezes  have 
fanned  his  silvery  locks  from  the  period  of  creation. 

What  the  temple  of  Mecca  is  to  the  good  Mohamme- 
dan Mount  Hood  is  to  the  Orcgonian.  In  the  still 
night,  when,  by  the  light  of  a  solitary  star,  he  followed 
the  lazy  ox-team,  or  fled  before  the  murderous  toma- 
hawk of  the  red  men,  this  monumental  pile  was  his 
beacon  and  his  guide;  and  now,  when  the  fingers  of 
time  have  wrought  his  locks  with  silver  threads,  and 
his  step  grows  feeble,  the  venerable  pioneer,  leaning 
upon  his  staff,  points  to  this  hoary  king  of  the  West, 
and,  with  trembling  accents,  and  a  reverence  akin  to 
idolatry,  tells  to  his  children's  children  the  eventful 
::tory  of  his  early  life — his  pilgrimage  across  the  plains, 
his  struggles  and  adventures  in  the  forests  of  distant 
Oregon. 

There  are  three  principal  mountain  chains  in  Oregon 
— the  Cascade,  Blue  mountains,  and  the  Coast  Range ; 
the  latter  running  from  the  California  line  to  Astoria, 
and  in  many  places  leaving  broad  valleys  lying 
between  it  and  the  ocean.  This  mountain  chain  is 
rugged,  and  great  portions  of  it  are  covered  with  dense 
forests  of  fir  and  other  trees.  Innumerable  streams 
course  down  both  sides  of  this  mountain  range.    Owing 


534 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


to  the  good  supply  of  water,  abundance  of  grass,  and  the 
fogs  and  damps  of  summer  from  the  ocean,  the  whole 
western  slope  of  the  Coast  Range,  with  the  belt  of 
valleys  between  it  and  the  Pacific,  affords  thfi  best  pas- 
ture region  on  the  whole  coast.  Throughout  the  south- 
ern portion  of  this  mountain  chain  rich  mines  of  gold, 
silver,  copper,  and  other  minerals  have  been  discovered, 
and  are  being  worked  with  profit.  A  hundred  miles 
inland  from  the  Coast  Range,  and  running  parallel  with 
it  from  north  to  south  for  the  whole  length  of  the  State, 
is  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains,  a  continuation  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  in  California.  In  this 
chain  there  are  many  lofty  mountains,  including  Mounts 
Jefferson  and  Hood,  the  latter  being  the  northern  ter- 
minus of  the  chain,  and  located  twenty  miles  directly 
south  of  the  Columbia  river  at  the  Cascades.  It  is 
between  these  two  chains  of  mountains  that  the  beau- 
tiful and  fertile  valley  of  the  Wallamet  is  situated,  in 
which  the  great  agricultural  wealth  of  Oregon  is  found. 
In  the  Cascade  range,  as  in  the  Coast  Range,  rich  de- 
posits of  the  precious  and  other  metals  are  found,  and 
many  mines  are  being  worked  with  good  results. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  miles  east  of  the  Cascade 
mountains  is  another  mountain  chain,  running  parallel 
with  the  Cascades  and  forming  the  third  grand  moun- 
tain range  of  Oregon.  This  latter  chain,  known  as  the 
Blue  mountains,  although  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  the  Cascade  or  Sierra  range,  is  but  a  portion  of 
the  great  Sierra  chain,  flung  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  farther  eastward ;  and,  like  the  Sierras,  it  throws 
its  deposits  of  gold,  silver,  and  other  metals  far  upon 
either  side,  and  holds  in  its  granite  vaults  untold  mil- 
lions of  the  precious  metals.     Mines  of  great  richness 


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4 


OREGON. 


535 


are  bein^  worked  in  this  section,  and  the  yield  of  tl.e 
precious  metals  is  steadily  on  the  increase  in  Oregon: 
three  million  dollars  of  gold  and  silver  being  now  pro- 
duced annually. 

The  vast  area  of  Oregon  lying  east  of  the  Cascade 
mountains,  embracing  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  area 
of  the  State,  and  known  as  Eastern  Oregon,  differs  in 
its  physical  features  and  climate  materially  from  the 
western  portion  of  the  State.  The  winters  are  compar- 
atively dry,  and  but  a  small  amount  of  snow  falls  upon 
the  mountains.  Much  of  the  country  is  covered  by 
high  table -lands,  alkaline  plains,  sandy  and  volcanic 
deserts;  but  there  are  innum  rable  rich  valleys,  well 
watered  and  of  the  best  quality  of  agricultural  lands 
and  wide  pasture  -  ranges,  abundantly  supplied  with 
native  grasses,  which  make  this  section  of  the  State 
valuable  as  a  grazing  region.  Much  of  the  mountains 
and  rolling  hills  are  covered  with  fir,  pine,  oak,  and 
other  timber,  but  generally  of  an  inferior  growth  .vhen 
compared  widi  the  same  species  west  of  die  Cascade 
mountains. 

The  southeastern  part  of  Eastern  Oregon  has  a  great 
number  of  lakes,  many  of  them  of  considerable  size. 
Klamath  lake,  situated  close  to  the  Cascade  mountains, 
and  Lower  Klamath  lake  form  one  continuous  sheet  of 
water  of  fifty  miles  in  length.  The  southern  part  of 
the  Lower  Klamath  is  in  California,  and  the  remainder, 
including  Klamath  lake,  in  Oregon.  The  Klamath 
proper  is  thirty  mil*^*^  in  length  and  fourteen  miles  in 
width.  There  are  several  other  lakes  of  almost  as 
great  proportions  as  this  and  great  numbers  of  smaller 
ones,  some  of  which  are  filled  with  fish,  and  some  so 
impregnated  with  alkaline  that  no  living  thing  is  found 


536  THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 

in  their  waters.     Many  of  these  lakes  are  the  home  of 
millions  of  wild  fowl — geese,  ducks,  and  crane. 

Throughout  the  northern  portion  of  Eastern  Oregon, 
the  Des  Chutes,  John  Day,  Umatilla,  and  Snake  rivers 
supply  an  abundance  of  pure  water,  and  salmon  and 
trout  are  found  in  great  numbers. 

Oregon  is  famous  for  its  wild  game.  Elk,  deer,  ante- 
lope, bear,  geese,  ducks,  swan,  quail,  grouse,  and  crane 
are  plenty ;  and  the  Columbia  and  all  the  prinpipal 
streams  abound  in  salmon  and  other  fish ;  and  the  fur- 
bearing  animals — the  beaver,  otter,  and  mink — are  still 
plenty:  but  the  posts  established  by  the  American, 
Hudson  Bay,  and  other  fur  companies  have  all  been 
abandoned,  and  the  fur  trade  of  the  State  is  smaller  and 
conducted  only  by  private  individuals. 

Wild  berries  in  great  abundance  and  variety  grow  in 
Oregon  ;  and  salt  springs  and  other  mineral  waters  are 
found.  Mines  of  coal  and  iron  are  worked  successfully ; 
and  copper,  lead,  marble,  and  limestone  are  found  in 
many  sections  of  the  State,  and  of  superior  quality. 

The  forests  of  Oregon  are  unsurpassed  in  the  world. 
Vast  districts  of  country  of  rolling  hills,  mountains,  and 
level  lands  are  covered  with  forests  of  fir,  tall  and  erect, 
without  a  limb,  save  a  bunch  upon  the,  top.  These 
forest  trees  generally  stand  about  two  hundred  feet  in  > 
height,  and  running  from  four  to  ten  feet  in  diameter; 
but  many  of  the  trees  grow  to  three  hundred  feet  and 
more  in  height,  and  attain  a  diameter  of  from  eight  to 
twelve  feet.  A  large  timber-trade  is  carried  on  in  Ore- 
gon with  California  and  other  parts  of  the  Pacific  coast ; 
and  the  supply  that  could  be  furnished  by  her  forests  is 
beyond  calculation.  Fir  is  the  great  staple  timber  of  the 
country.     Cedar,  oak,  ash,  pine,  and  some  other  varie- 


0/!EGOy. 


537 


ties  grow  in  considerable  quantity ;  but,  like  California 
and  all  the  Pacific  coast  territory,  Oregon  docs  not  pro- 
duce the  fine  white  and  yellow  pine,  nor  the  maple, 
birch,  and  beech  of  the  Eastern  States  and  Canada. 
In  fact  not  a  tree  of  these  beautiful  varieties  of  timber 
is  to  be  found  upon  the  whole  Pacific  coast ;  still  there 
are  many  varieties  useful  in  ship  and  house  building, 
and  very  beautiful  for  furniture  and  ornamental  work. 

Agriculture  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  people  of 
Oregon.  The  mild  winters,  genial  climate,  rich  soil, 
and  summer  showers  always  insure  good  crops.  There 
never  yet  has  been  a  failure  of  the  wheat  or  other  grain 
crop  of  the  State ;  and  the  average  product  per  acre  in 
wheat,  oats,  rye,  and  barley  is  a  third  greater  than  any 
of  the  States  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains.  Oregon  and 
California  averacre  nineteen  bushels  each  of  wheat  to  the 
acre,  while  Virginia  produces  but  nine  bushels.  South 
Carolina  but  seven,  and  Tennessee  but  eight  and 
a-quarter.  Wheat,  oats,  barley,  potatoes,  corn,  flax, 
hemp,  tobacco,  hops,  vegetables  of  all  kinds,  apples, 
pears,  plums,  cherries,  and  berries  of  almost  every 
variety  grow  most  abundantly:  grapes,  peaches,  and 
some  other  varieties  of  fruits  do  not  grow  so  well  as 
they  do  in  California,  but  in  many  localities  grapes  do 
well. 

The  great  staple  product  of  Oregon  is  wheat.  It  was 
from  the  rich  valleys  of  Oregon  that  the  California 
miner  in  early  days  received  his  supply  of  bread,  and  to 
the  present  time,  notwithstanding  California  exports 
largely  of  wheat  and  flour,  Oregon  flour  is  sold  in  the 
California  markets.  At  Portland,  and  other  towns  in 
Oregon,  ships  load  with  wheat  and  flour  for  the  markets 
of  Europe,  Asia,  Australia,  and  the  islands  of  the  Pacific; 


)38 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  ag-encles  for  the  sale  of  Oregon  flour  are  established 
in  San  Francisco. 

Apples  in  great  quantities  are  shipped  from  Oregon 
to  California  and  to  all  ports  along  the  coast,  and  to 
British  Ct)kimbia.  The  rapid  growth  of  fruit  trees  in 
this  State  is  remarkable :  ten  and  twelve  feet  are  often 
produced  in  a  year,  and  so  abundandy  do  trees  bear  at 
three  and  four  years  old  that  they  are  often  crushed 
with  the  weight  of  the  fruit. 

Horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs,  and  poultry  all  thrive  well 
in  Oregon,  and  produce  their  species  at  a  much  earlier 
period  than  do  their  kind  in  any  part  of  the  Adantic 
side  of  the  republic.  There  are  in  the  State  75,000 
horses,  4,500  mules,  102,000  catdc,  62,500  milch  cows, 
150,000  hogs,  and  420,000  sheep;  there  are  also  160 
miles  of  railroad,  and  several  roads  in  course  of  con- 
struction. 

The  wide  pasture -ranges,  great  variety  01  native 
grasses,  and  mild  climate,  make  Oregon  the  finest 
grazing  section  of  the  country.  In  many  portions  of 
the  State  stock-raising  is  carried  on  to  a  great  extent, 
and  sheep-raising  and  wool-growing  is  receiving  con- 
siderable attention;  and  besides  supplying  several  local 
factories,  large  quantities  of  wool  are  shipped  to  Cali- 
fornia and  to  the  Atlantic  States. 

Many  branches  of  manufacture  are  prosecuted  in 
Oregon,  and  the  whole  business  of  the  State  has  received 
a  great  stimulus  from  the  railroads  already  constructed 
and  now  building  in  the  Wallamet  valley.  Some  idea 
of  the  amount  of  flour  produced  may  be  ascertained 
from  the  fact  that  there  are  eighty  flouring  mills  in 
operation  in  the  State,  many  of  which  produce  one 
hundred  and  lifty  barrels  of  fiour  daily;  and  one,  the 


MOUNT    llool),   UKEiiUN,    IKUM     IIIK    UAI.I.KS. 


s(  INK   ON    THE   r.Ol.lMlllA    KlVl.k. 


II ! 


!  i\ 


OR  EG  Off. 


539 


largest  in  the  State,  located  at  Salem,  grinds  two  hun- 
dred barrels  per  day. 

One  hundred  and  seventy  saw-mills  are  employed  in 
making  lumber,  and  fifteen  quartz-mills  are  in  opera- 
tion in  the  mines.  A  linseed-oil  mill  is  in  successful 
operation  at  Salem.  There  are  seven  woollen  factories 
in  the  State,  one  at  each  of  the  following  places  :  Salem, 
Oregon  City,  Brownsville,  Dalles,  Ashland,  Aurora,  and 
Dallas.  Numerous  churches,  schools,  anti  colleges  attest 
the  progress  and  refinement  of  the  people.  There  are 
twenty-eight  newspapers  published  in  Oregon,  ami  eight 
libraries,  (public  and  society,)  with  an  aggregate  of 
fourteen  thousand  volumes,  which  su[)ply  in  part  the 
reading  matter  of  the  people  of  Hie  State. 

On  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  numbers  of 
the  people  of  Oregon  went  to  the  mines,  many  of  whom 
realized  fortunes  and  returned  to  their  new  homes  in 
the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Wallamet. 

The  mass  of  the  people  of  Oregon,  however,  never 
having  come  in  contact  with  nor  been  affected  b\  the 
excitement  incident  to  gold -mining,  have  remained 
quiedy  upon  their  farms  and  at  their  other  employ- 
ments, and,  as  a  consequence,  have  built  them  .(*lves  up 
quiet  and  peaceful  homes  free  from  the  excitement, 
extravagance,  folly,  and  unrest  incident  to  e..r]y  life  in 
California. 

The  j)ioncer  of  Oregon  had  to  contend  long  and  bit- 
terly widi  the  relendess  red  man  for  the  possession  of 
the  soil.  A  population  of  about  thirt\  thousand  sav- 
ages, consisting  chiefly  of  the  Walla  Wallas,  ShawtwcSy 
Chinook,  and  Flathead  tribes,  struggled  long  .. 
fiercely  to  maintain  thf:ir  ancient  hunting-grouiuls  ;  but 
at  last  they  gave  way  before  inevitable  fate,  anti  the  last 


540 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


representatives  of  the  powerful  tribes  of  distant  Oregon 
arc  fading  away  before  the  axe  and  ploughshare  of  the 
invading  white  man. 

The  State  of  Oregon  is  divided  into  twenty-two 
counties,  with  the  capital  at  Salem,  forty  miles  by  a 
direct  line  south  of  Portland,  and  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Wallamet  river.  There  are  several  thriving  towns 
in  the  State.  Portland,  with  a  population  of  8,293,  of 
whom  5,715  are  native  Americans  and  2,578  are  of 
foreign  birth,  is  the  chief  city  of  Oregon.  It  is  at  the 
head  of  ocean-steamer  navigation,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Wallamet,  and  is  substantially  built  with  many  elegant 
houses.  Railroads  traversing  the  Wallamet  valley  and 
other  parts  of  the  State  enter  this  city,  whose  pros- 
perity is  evidenced  by  its  nicely  paved  streets,  elegant 
stores,  hotels,  banks,  schools,  churches,  and  colleges. 
Many  branches  of  mechanical  industry  are  prosecuted 
in  this  city,  which  is  a  port  of  entry  of  considerable 
commercial  importance,  and  for  its  size  is  one  of  the 
most  thriving  and  active  cities  in  the  United  States. 

Altogether,  the  genial  climate,  natural  resources,  and 
large  areas  of  good  land  yet  attainable  from  the  gov- 
ernment and  from  occupants  at  rcuisonable  prices, 
make  Oregon  one  of  the  most  desirable  quarters  of  the 
republic  for  the  emigrant  in  search  of  a  home. 

The  new-comer  will  find,  besides  the  great  resources 
and  inviting  climate,  well-ordered  society,  schools, 
churches,  and  colleges,  active  and  progressive  men  and 
women,  with  big,  generous  hearts  and  willing  .  ,inJs, 
and  the  foundations  of  a  great  and  prosperous  State 
well  established. 


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NEVADA, 


541 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


NEVADA. 

Acquisition  of— Area — Population— Geography — ^fountains — Val- 
leys— I  -akes — Rivers —  Forests — Soil — Seasons — Cliuuile —  M  incs 
— Mining — Minerals — Counties  —  Cities — Progress  —  Schools — 
Newspapers — Libraries — Future  prospects. 

Nevada,  known  as  the  Silver  State  on  account  of  its 
extensive  silver-mines,  lies  directly  east  of  the  State  of 
California,  from  which  it  is  separated  in  its  division  line 
by  the  crest  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  The 
area  now  forming  this  State  was  ori«;inally  a  part  of  the 
Territory  of  California,  and  more  recently  of  a  portion 
of  the  district  embraced  within  the  Territory  of  Utah, 
and  was  acquired  by  die  United  States  from  the  Repub- 
lic of  Mexico,  by  the  ace  uisition  of  California,  in  1846. 
In  1861,  a  territorial  government  was  established  by 
act  of  Congress,  and,  in  1864,  it  was  admitt-irl  a  State 
in  the  Union,  with  a  very  small  poinilation. 

The  area  of  Nevada  is  81,531  s([iiarc  miles,  and  its 
population,  according  to  die  federal  census  of  1870, 
was  42,491,  of  whom  38,959  were  white,  357  colored, 
and  3,152  Chinese.  Of  die  whole  population,  almost 
one-half  were  of  foreign  birth,  there  being  23,690  native 
born  and  18,801  foreigners. 

Nevatla  is  bounded  on  its  extreme  southeastern  cor- 
ner by  the  river  Colorado,  which  separates  it  from  the 
Territory  of  Arizona.  Utah  forms  die  eastern  line  and 
Oregon  the  northern.  On  the  v\-est,  the  crest  of  the 
Siernis  forms  the;  lint;  between  this  State  and  the  State 
of  California.     The  beautiful  Lake  Talioe,  seven  thou- 


CA2  THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 

sand  feet  high,  in  the  top  of  the  Sierras,  is  partly  in 
Ntvada  and  partly  in  California;  and  in  this  region,  as 
in  many  other  parts  of  the  State,  the  scenery  is  mag- 
nificent, abounding  in  rugged  mountain  peaks  capped 
with  snow,  dense  forests,  and  beautiful  lakes. 

East  of  the  Sierras  the  climate  is  entirely  different 
from  that  of  California,  immediately  west  of  them.  The 
climate  of  Nevada  is  colder  in  winter  and  generally 
with  less  rainfall  than  the  former.  Snow  covers  all  the 
high  mountain  ranges  and  hills,  and  even  for  a  brief 
period  reaches  the  valleys;  but  generally  throughout 
the  rolling  hills,  pasture  ranges,  and  agricultural  sec- 
tions snow  falls  but  little,  and  cattle  and  horses  graze 
at  large  throughout  the  entire  winter,  and  in  many  of 
the  valleys  snow  is  never  seen.  The  climate  of  the 
State  is  much  milder  than  that  of  either  of  the  States  of 
Virginia  or  Tennessee.  The  surface  of  the  country  is 
a  succession  of  rugged  mountains,  broad  alkaline  flats, 
rolling,  gravelly  ridges,  and  sandy  deserts,  interspersed 
with  small  fertile  valleys,  rich  river  bottoms,  and  ravines. 

From  the  mountain  ridges  pourdown  dashing  streams, 
soon,  however,  lost  in  the  flats  below,  where  they  bury 
tliemselves  in  the  earth,  thus  leaving  many  rich  valleys 
entirely  destitute  of  running  streams,  and  lending  an 
aspect  of  desolation  and  barrenness  to  large  areas  of 
productive  land.  In  this  State  is  presented  the  singu- 
lar phenomenon  of  the  creeks  and  rivers  pouring  into 
caverns  in  the  earth,  running  many  miles  under  ground, 
and  rising  to  the  surface  again;  but  only  to  again  dip 
into  the  ground,  wliere  their  course  is  lost  sight  of  for- 
ever. 

The  principal  rivers  of  Nevada  are  the  Humboldt, 
Truckee,  Carson,  and  Walker.     HumlKjUlt  river  after 


la 
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of 


NFA'ADA. 


543 


passings  for  three  luindrcd  and  fifty  miles  from  cast  to 
west,  empties  into  Lake  Humljoldt,  in  a  deep  valley  in 
the  western  portion  of  the  State.  Carson  and  Walker 
rivers,  having  their  source  in  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Sierras,  pour  their  floods  into  Carson  an;l  Walker 
lakes,  and,  like  the  Humboldt,  are  lost  to  view  forever. 
Truckce  river  has  its  source  in  the  waters  of  t^ie  beau- 
tiful Lake  Tahoe,  situated  upon  the  crest  of  the  Sierras. 
Tahoe  is  twenty-one  miles  in  lenoth,  twelve  miles  in  width, 
and  elevated  6,250  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  forms  a 
part  of  the  boundary  between  California  and  Nevada. 
From  this  lake  the  Truckee  pours  in  a  mijrluy  torrent, 
for  the  first  few  miles  passing  through  deep  cartons, 
gulches,  and  ravines,  forming  rapids  and  cascades  of 
great  power  and  beauty.  The  river  in  its  course  runs 
from  Lake  Tahoe  in  a  northeasterly  direction  for  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  eighty  miles,  and  until  it  reaches 
Pyramid  lake,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierras.  This 
charming  lake  is  thirty-five  miles  in  length,  ten  miles  in 
width,  and  elevated  3,940  feet  above  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific  ocean.  Thus  the  waters  of  Lake  Tahoe  empty 
into  P)Tamid  lake,  but  Pyramid  lake,  like  Humboldt, 
Carsoi,  Walker,  and  all  the  other  lakes  in  the  State, 
has  no  visible  oudet,  but  pours  the  mighty  tide  of  the 
Truckee,  together  with  its  own  waters,  into  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  which,  with  the  waters  of  all  the  rivers  and 
lakes  of  the  State  of  Nevada,  must  pass  under  the 
Sierras,  or  to  the  Colorado  river — hundreds  of  miles — 
before  a  final  outlet  is  found  in  the  Pacific  ocean. 

On  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierras,  and  some  other 
mountain  ranges  in  Nevada,  there  are  heavy  growths 
of  timber,  but  g(^nerally  the  State  is  but  poorly  wooded  ; 


I 


544 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  the  plains  and  valleys  are  destitute  of  trees,  except 
where  fringes  of  cotton-wood  or  willows  skirt  the  rivers 
and  streams. 

In  the  mountains  wild  game  is  abundant,  and  the 
Truckec  and  other  rivers  abound  with  trout.  The 
native  tribes  of  Indians  are  of  a  very  low  order,  and, 
althouq;h  treacherous  and  cruel,  are  not  warlike,  and 
generalFy  give  but  little  trouble  to  the  whites. 

Agriculture  is  carried  on  to  considerable  extent,  and 
there  are  large  areas  of  tillable  land  which  might  be 
brought  into  a  high  state  of  cultivation  by  carrying 
water  in  ditches  from  the  mountains.  There  are  wide 
pasture- ranges  in  the  State  well  adapted  to  cattle  and 
sheep ;  and  large  herds  of  horned  cattle  graze  at  large 
during  the  whole  winter. 

The  material  growth  of  Nevada  has  been  very  great 
during  the  past  ten  years ;  and  the  State  may  be  con- 
sidered as  in  a  prosperous  and  progressive  condition. 

At  the  end  of  1870,  the  population  of  Nevada  was 
42,491  ;  and  her  taxable  property,  independent  of 
mines,  was  $32,524,600,  and  her  working  mines  were 
valued  at  5*^30,000,000 — an  aggregate  of  more  than 
$62,000,000,  or  about  $1,500  for  each  inhabitant  in  the 
State.  Nevada  stands  the  highest  of  all  the  States  in 
the  Union  in  the  average  production  of  wheat;  and 
equal  with  California  and  Oregon,  the  highest  average 
producing  States  in  the  Union,  in  barley,  oats,  rye,  and 
potatoes.  California  and  Oregon  yield  nineteen  bushels 
of  wheat  to  the  acre ;  while  Nevada  produces  twenty- 
three.  Illinois  yields  twelve  bushels,  Indiana  eleven, 
and  Tennessee  and  Virginia  each  but  eight  bushels  to 
the  acre,  on  an  average. 


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NEVADA. 


545 


The  live  stock  in  the  State  consists  of  8,600  horses, 
1,000  mules,  26,700  cattle,  and  12,800  sheep. 

The  mineral  wealth  of  Nevada  is  not  surpassed  by 
the  richest  parts  of  the  great  mineral  region  of  the 
Pacific  coast.  The  annual  yield  of  the  precious  metals 
has  been  about  ^15,000,000;  at  the  present  period  it  is 
^25,000,000  per  annum.  This  is  the  present  annual 
yield  of  the  California  mines.  Rich  discoveries  of  the 
precious  metals  are  being  daily  made  in  this  region,  so 
lately  appearing  upon  the  maps  of  America  as  "unex- 
plored ; "  and  it  would  seem  that  nature  had  deposited 
her  richest  treasures  in  the  mountains  and  rugged  hills 
of  this  remote  section,  and  that  through  toil,  privations, 
dangers,  and  poverty,  the  pioneer  and  hardy  miner 
should  open  the  vast  gold  and  silver  vaults  of  Nevada 
to  meet  the  growing  wants  of  the  new  civilization  push- 
ing westward  toward  the  direction  of  the  setting  sun, 
and  the  exigencies  of  complicated  internal  disorders 
of  commerce. 

As  early  as  1 850,  gold  had  been  discovered  in  Nevada, 
but  until  the  discovery  of  the  famous  Comstock  lode  at 
Virginia  City,  in  1859,  but  little  mining  had  been  done 
in  this  region  ;  and  the  country,  a  wild  and  uninhabited 
desert,  was  regarded  as  the  most  worthless  and  deso- 
late portion  of  the  American  continent.  In  1859,  and 
succeeding  years,  the  discoveries  of  great  deposits  of 
gold  and  silver  in  the  mountains  produced  a  panic 
throughout  the  whole  Pacific  coast,  almost  depopulating 
many  sections  of  California,  from  which  latter  State 
Nevada  has  received  almost  her  entire  population. 

Previous  to  the  year  1859,  but  about  ^400,000  in 

gold  had  been  obtained  in  Nevada;  since  that  period 
3S 


'1 


546 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


to  the  present,  the  yield  of  gold  and  silver  has  exceeded 
$135,000,000. 

Marked  industry  and  perseverance  are  leading  traits 
among  the  population  of  Nevada,  and  the  vast  amount 
of  labor  being  expended  upon  the  mines  of  the  State 
may  be  partially  understood  by  the  fact  that  there  are 
156  quartz-mills,  with  an  aggregate  of  2,200  stamps, 
employed  in  reducing  ores.  But  the  wealth  of  Nevada 
does  not  consist  alone  of  her  agriculture,  and  gold  and 
silver  mines,  but  also  in  her  rich  and  boundless  deposits 
of  other  minerals:  iron,  copper,  carbonate  of  soda, 
sulphur,  alum,  and  other  minerals  of  superior  quality, 
and  in  great  abundance,  exist  throughout  the  State. 
Salt,  so  important  an  article,  and  so  much  employed  in 
the  working  of  ores,  is  found  in  such  vast  quantities 
that  it  is  supposed  that  there  is  salt  enough  in  Nevada 
to  supply  the  markets  of  the  whole  United  States. 
Salt  is  foimd  in  almost  every  county  in  the  State :  it  is 
found  upon  the  surface,  and  in  vast  beds  in  the  earth, 
where  it  can  be  shovelled  up  white  and  pure,  and  of 
the  best  quality.  Doubtless  at  one  time  large  salt 
lakes,  or  perhaps  the  ocean,  covered  vast  areas  of  the 
surface  of  what  is  now  the  State  of  Nevada,  ahd  doubt- 
less to  this  fact  may  be  attributed  the  presence  of  such 
extensive  salt- beds  as  are  found  in  this  State.  In  one 
section  of  the  southern  part  of  Nevada,  a  single  salt-bed 
of  great  depth  and  of  si  perior  quality  covers  an  area 
of  fifty  square  miles.  Salt  springs  and  deposits  of 
salt  are  things  which  exist  all  over  the  globe,  at  least 
in  most  countries;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  left  to 
this  section  (Nevada)  to  rear  a  mountain  of  this  useful 
mineral.     In  Lincoln  county  stands  a  solitary  mountain 


NEVADA. 


547 


of  pure  salt,  transparent  as  crystal  and  of  superior 
quality. 

Mining,  agriculture,  lumbering,  cattle  and  sheep 
raising,  and  many  other  branches  of  industry,  are  carried 
on  most  successfully  in  Nevada.  The  great  overland 
railroad  connecting  San  Francisco  and  New  York 
passes  through  the  whole  width  of  the  State,  giving  a 
stimulus  to  business,  and  inducing  investments  in  mining 
interests ;  and  various  other  roads,  projected  and  build- 
ing, indicate  die  speedy  development  of  this  section. 
Already  there  are  six  hundred  miles  of  railroad  built 
in  Nevada. 

The  State  is  divided  into  fourteen  counties,  and  in 
the  mining  districts  there  are  several  growing  towns. 
Carson  City,  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierras,  is  the 
capital  of  the  State.  It  Is  built  on  a  low  flat,  where  the 
skirts  of  the  Sierras  reach  a  fertile  valley.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  city  is  3,042 ;  of  whom  more  than  half  are 
foreigners,  there  being  1,606  of  the  latter,  and  but 
1,436  native  Americans.  Virginia  City,  the  largest  city 
in  the  State,  a  few  miles  east  of  Carson,  and  built  upon 
the  high  ridge  and  over  the  great  Comstock  lode — the 
richest  and  most  extensive  quartz-mine  in  the  world — 
has  a  population  of  7,048,  almost  equally  divided  be- 
tween native  and  foreign  born,  there  being  3,592  of  the 
former,  and  3,456  of  the  latter.  White  Pine,  in  the 
centre  of  a  newly  discovered  and  rich  mining  district, 
although  scarcely  a  hut  had  been  built  in  it  two  years 
before,  had,  at  the  beginning  of  1871,  a  population  of 
7,200.  Ausdn,  Belmont,  and  several  other  growing 
towns  in  the  mining  districts  indicate  considerable 
activity  and  signs  of  general  progress.     The  State  has 


548 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


in  operation  156  quartz-mills,  seven  flour-mills,  and 
twenty-two  saw-mills.  Schools,  churches,  theatres,  and 
elegant  dwellings  in  all  the  towns  and  villages  exhibit 
the  industry  and  intelligence  of  the  people,  who  main- 
tain in  their  State  thirteen  newspapers,  and  an  aggre- 
gate of  1 60,000  books  in  its  libraries. 

Notwithstanding  the  wide  areas  of  barren,  alkaline, 
and  sandy  deserts  of  Nevada,  enough  of  good  soil, 
wide  pasture-ranges,  forests,  lakes,  rivers,  and  mines 
of  gold,  silver,  and  other  minerals  exist  to  warrant  the 
permanent  wealth  and  future  greatness  of  this  young 
and  sparsely  populated  interior  State, 


^ 


I 


UTAH, 


549 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 


UTAH. 


Area — Acquisition — Climate — Seasons — Mines — Mining — Minerals 
— Mountains  —  Lakes — Rivers —  Agriculture —  Education —  Ma- 
terial development — Mormons — Society — Population — Great  Salt 
lake  and  Salt  Lake  City — Overland  railroad — Discovery  and 
history  of  Salt  lake. 

The  Territory  of  Utah,  embracing  an  area  of  106,382 
square  miles,  is  situated  directly  east  of  the  State  of 
Nevada,  and  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  Nevada,  north 
by  Idaho  and  Wyoming,  east  by  Colorado,  and  south 
by  Arizona. 

The  area  comprising  Utah,  like  that  of  Nevada  and 
a  great  part  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Mexican  Territory  of  California,  and 
title  to  it  was  acquired  by  the  United  States  when,  in 
1846,  Commodore  Sloat  took  possession  of  California 
by  hoisting  the  American  flag  over  the  Mexican  terri- 
torial capital  at  Monterey,  and  by  subsequent  treaty 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico 

The  Territory,  as  now  bounded,  is  situated  directly 
in  the  line  of  the  overland  railroad  connecting  San 
Francisco  with  Chicago,  New  York,  arid  other  easterri 
cities.  Ogden,  at  the  head  .of  Great  Salt  lake,  is  881 
miles  east  of  San  Francisco  and  1,913  miles  west  of 
Omaha.  The  road,  running  in  an  easterly  and  westerly 
direction,  passes  through  the  extreme  northern  end  of 
the  Territory,  and  close  to  the  northern  end  of  Great 
Salt  lake,  and  through  the  city  of  Ogden,  and  distant 
from  Salt  Lake  City  about  thirty-six  miles.     Between 


.'        I-, 


550 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


this  point  and  the  chief  city  of  the  "Saints,"  connection 
is  made  by  a  branch  railroad  uniting  the  city  of  Ogden 
and  Great  Salt  Lake  Citv. 

The  climate  of  Utah  is  mild  in  many  parts,  and  nearly 
all  the  tropical  and  all  the  semi-tropical  fruits  grow  well 
in  the  southern  districts.  Snow  seldom  falls  in  the 
valleys,  and  the  rainfall  is  much  less  than  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  California.  Altogether,  the  climate  is 
delightful,  and  in  comparison  with  the  country  directly 
east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  in  the  same  degree 
of  latitude  throughout  the  whole  Atlantic  coast,  it  might 
be  termed  perpetual  summer. 

The  northern  part  of  the  Territory  is  mountainous, 
and  in  these  regions  snow  falls  to  a  great  depth  in 
winter,  and  for  several  months  the  hills  and  mountains 
are  clad  in  great  depths  of  snow,  and  cold  is  intense. 

Mines  of  the  precious  and  other  metals  are  found 
throughout  the  hilly  sections,  and  the  yield  of  silver 
during  the  past  few  years  has  greatly  increased,  in- 
ducing foreign  and  American  capital  to  embark  quite 
largely  in  the  development  of  the  great  silver  veins  of 
thi§  Territory. 

Valleys  of  great  extent  and  unsurpassed  productive- 
ness are  numerous,  and  many  of  them  are  well  watered 
by  the  innumerable  streams  pouring  down  from  the 
Inountains  and  "emptying  their  floods  into  the  lakes 
below,  and  by  canals  and  ditches.  In  the  southern 
section  of  the  Territory,  the  surface  is  much  more  level 
and  less  broken  by  jagged  mountain  ranges  than  in  the 
north,  and  in  this  quarter  there  are  wide  ranges  of  un- 
productive and  barren  soil.  But  there  are  also  innu- 
merable valleys  of  great  beauty  and  fertility,  producing 
grain,  fruit,  vegetables,  tobacco,  and  cotton.     Through 


UTAH. 


551 


this  section,  added  to  a  genial  climate  and  rich  soil,  are 
the  almost  countless  branches  of  the  main  Bear  river, 
Colorado,  Sevier,  Ogden,  Weber,  Green,  and  Grand 
rivers — supplying  the  country  abundantly  with  water. 

The  Colorado  river  proper  (but  near  its  source 
known  as  the  Green  river)  has  its  fountain-head  in  the 
western  base  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  in  the  centre  of 
Wyoming  Territory,  from  which  point  it  passes  in  a 
southwestern  direction  in  its  serpentine  course,  for 
more  than  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  length,  until  it 
reaches  the  Gulf  of  California,  through  which  it  finds  a 
passage  for  its  waters  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

Utah,  under  the  stimulus  of  railroads,  the  opening  of 
her  mines,  the  development  of  her  agricultural  resources, 
and  the  industry  of  her  people,  is  fast  assuming  marked 
indications  of  permanent  prosperity.  The  hand  of 
skilled  labor  is  leading  the  cooling  waters  of  the  high 
mountain  streams  and  lakes  into  the  parched  valleys, 
and  converting  seeming  sterile  and  desert  wastes  into 
fields  of  waving  corn,  and  gardens  and  orchards  of 
beauty  and  great  value.    - 

The  productiveness  and  fertility  of  the  soil  Is  unsur- 
passed by  any  section  of  the  country.  Large  areas 
under  wheat  produce  as  high  as  twenty-two  bushels  to 
the  acre;  barley,  twenty-nine  bushels;  corn,  twenty-four 
bushels;  oats,  thirty-three  bushels;  and  potatoes,  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five  bushels :  these  are  about  the 
average  productions,  and  far  surpass  the  yield  of  any 
State  or  Territory  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains. 

Public  schools  are  maintained  by  law.  In  1 870,  there 
were  200  school  districts  and  25,000  school  children 
between  the  ages  of  four  and  sixteen  years  In  the  Ter- 
ritory.    Polygamy  being  a  part  of  the  religion  of  the 


552 


THE    COLDER  STATE. 


people,  the  increase  of  children,  in  proportion  to  the 
population,  is  remarkably  large  as  compared  with  other 
sections  of  the  country 

The  mineral  wealth  of  Utah,  which,  until  recently, 
had  been  almost  entirely  unknown,  is  fast  attracting 
public  attention;  and  the  annual  product  of  gold  and 
silver  is  estimated  at  ;^2, 500,000,  with  every  prospect' 
of  a  large  increase.  But  the  wealth  of  the  Territory 
is  not  confined  to  the  precious  metals.  Iron,  copper, 
lead,  and  many  other  minerals  abound  throughout  the 
country,  and  inexhaustible  beds  of  superior  coal  have 
recently  been  opened,  and  the  great  salt  inland  sea  of 
Great  Salt  lake — seventy-five  miles  in  length,  thirty-five 
miles  in  breadth,  and  4,300  feet  above  the  sea — sup- 
plies unlimited  quantities  of  salt. 

A  half  a  century  ago  the  foot  of  a  white  man  had 
not  entered  the  vast  region  of  the  "Great  Salt  Lake 
desert,"  and  the  people  now  knocking  at  the  doors  of 
the  national  halls  of  legislation  for  the  admission  of  the 
State  of  Deseret  were  scattered  in  every  corner  of  the 
globe,  and  might  still  be  beyond  the  Rocky  mountains 
and  over  the  seas  in  interior  Europe  had  it  not  been  for 
the  quickening  impulse  of  the  "spirit  of  prophecy"  and 
the  new  revelation  to  the  "  prophet  Joseph"  of  die  new 
religion  through  which  wandering  spirits  could  easily 
reach  the  abode  of  the  blessed,  and  rejoice  with  their 
fathers  through  righteousness  and  the  deeds  done  in 
the  flesh. 

Agriculture  and  stock-raising  are  the  chief  occupa- 
tions of  the  people,  but  recently  a  variety  of  manufac- 
turing industries  and  mining  occupy  a  large  portion  of 
the  skill  and  labor  of  the  people  of  Utah,  great  num- 
bers of  whom  belonged  to  the  laboring  classes  of  Europe 


UTAH. 


553 


before  joining  the  Mormons,  and  who  carry  into  their 
business  affairs  the  marked  industry  and  frugahty  of 
the  European  peasantry. 

There  are  in  the  Territory,  besides  other  marked 
signs  of  material  prosperity,  fifty-five  grist-mills,  fifty- 
two  saw-mills,  several  quartz-mills,  an  i  nany  in  course 
of  construction;  eight  newspapers  and  thirteen  libra- 
ries— public  and  county — with  an  '\  ^gre^ate  of  fourteen 
thousand  books. 

bear  River,  Jordan,  and  Salt  Lak  :  valleys  are  very 
productive,  and  possess  great  advantages  for  the 
prosecution  of  diversified  agriculture;  but  interspersed 
among  the  mountains,  lakes,  and  fertile  valleys  are 
wide  ranges  of  most  uninviting  country,  in  some  places 
covered  with  white  sage ;  in  others,  the  surface  is  grav- 
elly, dry,  and  sandy,  without  the  sign  of  vegetable  or 
animal  life.  These  wide  areas,  added  to  the  bald  hills 
and  ridges,  without  tree  or  shrub  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  present  a  most  desolate  aspect. 

Utah,  like  a  large  portion  of  all  that  region  in  its 
vicinity,  is  quite  destitute  of  forest  trees,  and  the  evils 
experienced  by  farmers  and  others  from  this  cause 
alone  are  very  great.  In  the  vicinity  of  Salt  Lake  City 
no  trees  grow  except  a  few  that  have  been  planted,  and 
the  nighest  fuel  supply  of  wood  to  the  city  is  at  a  dis- 
tance of  fifteen  to  twenty-five  miles,  and  twenty  and 
forty  miles  is  not  an  unusual  distance  for  the  people  to 
draw  their  scant  supply  of  fuel. 

Owing  to  the  want  of  summer  rains,  and  the  alkaline 
and  light  soil  in  many  places,  agriculture  is  only  made 
profitable  by  the  aid  of  irrigation.  Under  the  rule  of 
the  "saints,"  public  officers  see  that  each  member  of 
society  contribute  their  time  or  money  to  erecting  dams, 


554 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


reservoirs,  and  ditches  to  lead  the  waters  of  the  streams 
into  the  agricultural  districts.  By  this  system,  and  the 
industry  of  the  inhabitants,  large  areas  that  otherwise 
must  remain  totally  useless  are  made  to  "blossom  like 
the  rose"  and  produce  most  abundantly. 

Nothing  so  much  strikes  the  traveller  through  Utah 
as  the  dull,  quiet,  dreamy  apathy  of  the  people,  and  the 
humble  abodes  in  which  they  dwell  throughout  the 
country.  None  of  the  nicely-painted  houses,  with 
thrift}'^  flower  and  kitchen  gardens,  and  bright-faced, 
clean  children,  and  sparkling-eyed,  active  mothers,  and 
charming  young  ladies  at  the  needle  or  the  piano,  are 
seen — not  but  that  the  people  are  industrious  enough, 
but  generally  the  absence  of  lumber,  the  long,  dry, 
dusty  summers,  the  scarcity  of  water,  and  a  general 
desire  to  do  nothing  but  what  is  "  useful,"  with  the  in- 
fluence of  woman  "bound  to  service  and  labor','  give  to 
these  people,  in  their  patched-up  cabins  of  bits  of 
boards,  rails,  slabs,  brush,  tin,  and  green  hide,  the  ap- 
pearance of  gypsies  rather  than  of  Americans  ;  indeed, 
it  is  scarcely  just  to  call  the  Mormons  by  the  latter  name, 
gathered  as  they  are  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe, 
holding  themselves,  in  religion,  society,  and  even  in 
government,  distinct  and  independent  from  the  people 
and  government  of  the  United  States,  and  living  in  a 
remote  and  isolated  region  where  they  never  come  in 
contact  with  the  people  of  the  country  in  which  they 
have  built  up  their  sovereign  dominion  of  Church  and 
State. 

Still  the  Mormons  have  done  much  in  their  hereto- 
fore-secluded home.  On  the  arrival  of  their  advance 
guard  at  Salt  lake,  on  July  24,  1847,  ^^^Y  found  the 
whole  land  a  howling  desert — its  pasture  ranges  the 


BRIGHAM  young's   HAREMS,  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 
{•■  Bee  Hive"  on  the  right,  "Lion  House"  on  left.    Young's  office,  central  building.) 


STREET  SCENE   IN  SALT   LAKE  CITY. 


UTAH.^ 


555 


home  of  the  buffalo  and  deer ;  its  hills  the  haunts  of 
voracious  beasts  and  savage  men ;  and  its  sandy  wastes 
the  sepulchres  of  their  fellows  and  the  "valley  of  death" 
to  their  famished  and  burdened  beasts. 

Who  can  recount  the  trials  and  privations  of  these 
people,  and  not  feel  a  pang  of  pity  for  the  masses  led 
on  by  a  few  designing  knaves,  seeking  their  own  ag- 
grandizement through  the  spirit  of  "false  prophecy" 
and  the  superstition  of  their  dupes? 

But  out  of  the  chaos  of  the  heart  of  the  great  desert 
of  America,  the  combined  labor  and  the  indomitable 
spirit  of  the  people  and  the  leader  of  the  new  religion, 
the  followers  of  "Joseph  the  prophet,"  have  brought 
not  only  peculiarities  of  religious  practices  and  social 
disorder,  but  also  growing  towns,  prosperous  cities,  and 
dense  communities,  soon  to  add  a  new  star  to  the  con- 
stellation  of  our  national  Union  of  States. 

The  federal  census  of  1870  gives  the  entire  popula- 
tion of  Utah  at  86,786,  about  equally  divided  between 
the  sexes.  Of  the  whole  population,  86,044  were  white, 
118  colored,  and  445  Chinese.  A  great  majority  of  the 
adult  population  are  of  foreign  birth,  gathered  up  from 
every  part  of  Europe  by  the  proselyting  ministers  of 
the  "Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints;"  and 
the  larger  number  of  native  than  foreign  population 
appearing  in  the  census  returns  is  owing  to  the  rapid 
increase  of  children  under  the  careful  husbandry  of  the 
"saints." 

The  native  population  of  Utah  is  56,084,  and  the 
foreign  population  30,702  ;  while  60,000  of  the  popula- 
tion are  the  children  of  foreign  parents. 

Great  Salt  Lake  City,  the  chief  city  of  the  Mormons, 
and  t^  ^  wonderful  inland  salt  sea  of  Salt  lake,  are  as 


556 


THE   OOLDEN  STATE. 


well  known  in  history  to  the  whole  American  people 
and  a  great  portion  of  Europe  as  is  the  Republic  of 
America  itself. 

The  city,  begun  in  1847,  ^s  situated  on  the  level  val- 
ley, about  4,300  feet  above  the  sea,  in  the  great  "Utah 
desert,"  and  twelve  miles  distant  from  Great  Salt  lake. 
A  short  distance  from  the  city  are  ranges  of  hills,  deep 
canons,  and  abrupt  mountains,  clad  in  perpetual  snow ; 
which,  with  the  vast  rows  of  shade  trees  planted  in  the 
streets  and  gardens  of  the  city,  and  rippling  threads  of 
water  passing  through  the  gutters,  give  a  very  pictur- 
esque and  charming  view.  The  streets  are  laid  out  at 
right  angles,  are  broad,  clean,  and  level. 

The  city  proper  is  about  four  miles  in  length  and  two 
miles  wide,  and  is  chiefly  built  of  adobe  or  bricks  dried 
in  the  sun ;  and  with  these  is  built  much  after  the  man- 
ner and  has  much  the  appearance  of  all  the  old  Spanish 
towns  in  Mexico  and  California.  These  houses  make 
little  pretension  to  architectural  beauty ;  and  with  low 
ceilings,  small  doors,  and  few  and  small  windows,  and, 
in  many  cases,  ground-floors,  contrast  strongly  with  the 
neat,  white  house,  with  green  shutters,  plate  glass,  and 
fine  carpets,  of  the  people  of  New  England  and  the 
Atlantic  States  generally.  But  there  are  many  fin 
buildings  in  the  city,  including  the  public  buildings,  (the 
city  being  the  capital  of  the  Territory,)  the  Endow- 
ment House,  Temple  Block,  the  Tabernacle,  and  the 
residences  and  harems  of  Brigham  Young  and  his 
apostles. 

The  population  of  the  capital  city  is  1 2,854 ;  of  whom 
7,604  are  of  native  birth  and  5,250  are  foreigners. 
Almost  every  nationality  on  the  globe  is  represented 
here,  either  for  the  purposes  of  trade  or  the  hope  of 


UTAH. 


557 


salvation.  Every  country  of  Europe  contributes  mem- 
bers to  the  Mormon  faith — England,  Wales,  France, 
Germany,  Austria,  Russia,  Holland,  Sweden,  and  Den- 
mark. Irish  and  Scotch  are  scarce,  still  the  Irish  Mor- 
mon is  not  unknov^n  ;  a. id  the  Jew,  African,  and  China- 
man embrace  the  faith  and  thft  plural  wives  oi  xht.  Mor- 
mons with  avidity  and  an  apparent  relish,  particularly 
if  they  can  see  ease  and  money  in  it. 

Besides  Salt  Lake  City  there  are  several  other  cities 
and  towns  of  importance  in  the  Territory,  fast  develop- 
ing into  respectable  proportions  under  the  stimulus  of 
railroads  and  the  recent  rich  discoveries  of  extensive 
and  rich  silver  mines ;  but  all  the  buildings  partake  of 
the  adobe,  tile  roof,  low  ceilings,  and  shabby  appearance 
of  three-quarters  of  the  houses  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

Ogden,  a  shabby-looking  place,  romantically  cluster- 
ing at  the  foot  of  high  ridges  of  volcanic  mountains,  at 
the  northern  end  of  Salt  lake,  and  thirty-six  miles  north 
of  Salt  Lake  City,  is  the  terminus  of  the  Central  Pacific 
portion  of  the  overland  railroad,  and  distant  from  San 
Francisco  88 1  miles.  From  this  point,  looking  toward 
the  soutli,  is  a  fine  view  of  Great  Salt  lake  and  the  snow- 
clad  mountains  to  the  west,  which  seem  to  shadow  their 
fleecy  crowns  in  the  sea  of  the  desert.  Here,  passen- 
gers overland,  going  east  or  west,  change  cars,  although 
they  do  not  change  roads.  From  this  point,  a  rail- 
road of  thirty-six  miles  in  length  runs  directly  south  to 
Salt  Lake  City ;  and  persons  desiring  to  see  the  great 
city  of  the  plains  must  leave  the  main  road  and  travel 
south  thirty-six  miles. 

Ogden  contains  a  population  of  3,127;  of  whom  2,086 
are  native  and  1,061  are  of  foreign  birth.  Mount 
Pleasant,  another  town,  has  a  population  of  1,346;  of 


558 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


whom  752  are  native  and  594  are  foreigners.  Manti 
has  1,239  in  population;  and  Logan,  the  only  other 
place  of  importance  in  the  Territory,  has  a  population 

of  1.757. 

Not  the  least  remarkable  of  all  the  natural  wonders 

of  t'lis  country  are  its  numerous  hot  and  mineral 
springs,  its  lakes,  and  rivers,  many  of  which  sink  and 
are  lest  entirely  in  the  desert.  But  the  most  singular 
and  best  known  natural  object  in  the  whole  territory 
is  the  famous  lake — the  great  inland  salt  sea  of  America 
— Great  Salt  lake,  located  in  what  is  known  as  the 
great  interior  basin  lying  between  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains on  the  east  and  the  Sierra  Nevadas  on  the  west, 
and  extending  from  Oregon  to  the  Colorado  river; 
interpersed  with  lakes,  rivers,  springs,  and  geysers,  and 
parallel  mountain  chains  passing  from  north  to  south, 
broken  occasionally,  as  about  Salt  lake,  with  jagged 
mountain  peaks  and  broken  ridges  e'evating  as  do 
Mount  Nebo,  8,000  feet;  Wasatch,  6,000  feet;  and 
Twin  Peaks,  a  litde  south  of  Salt  Lake  City,  elevated  to 
11,600  feet  above  the  sea  level.  In  this  region  did 
the  early  pilgrim  to  the  shrine  of  mammon  in  the 
golden  sands  of  California,  and  the  disciples  of  the 
new  religion  of  America,  fall  fainting  by  the  way  in  the 
tedious  march  over  arid  plains  and  burning  sands,  and 
famished  for  want  of  food  and  water,  chased  by  fierce 
bands  of  painted  and  plumed  savages,  or  by  the  fasci- 
nating illusions  of  the  mysterious  mirage  lead  their 
weary  march  toward  man,  river,  ship,  or  sea,  in  the 
gauzy  vapors  and  thin  air  of  nothingness  which  dis- 
solved at  touch. 

Geological  evidences  all  teach  that,  at  some  remote 
period,  the  greater  portion  of  the  vast  basin  of  the 


I 


THE  MORMON  TEMPLE,  SALT  LAKE   CITY. 


A  MORMON  FAMILY 


PULPIT    ROCK.  ECHO    CANON. 


Sin 

whi 

the 

So 

eith 

con 

and 


MONUMENT  ROCK,  ECHO  CANON,  UTAH. 


UTAH. 


559 


interior  of  America  was  a  sea,  of  which  Salt  lake 
alone  remains  as  a  living  witness;  and  the  great  num- 
bers of  hot,  mineral,  and  other  springs  in  and  about 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  other  portions  of  the  Territory, 
attest  to  the  fact  of  recent  volcanic  disturbances  in  this 
entire  section. 

Great  Salt  lake,  the  main  objective  point  of  interest 
in  the  Territory  of  Utah,  is  situated  near  the  north- 
western part  of  the  Territory,  and  at  an  elevation  of 
4,200  feet  above  the  sea  level.  It  is  surrounded,  or 
nearly  so,  by  ranges  of  hills,  and  upon  the  west  with 
high  mountains  whose  peaks  are  covered  perpetually 
with  snow.  The  lake  is  seventy-five  miles  long  in  a 
direct  line,  and  thirty-five  miles  broad,  but  its  irregular 
form  gives  it  greater  dimensions,  and  its  size,  as  cal- 
culated by  skilled  engineers,  is  ninety  miles  in  length 
by  forty  miles  in  breadth.  Into  this  sea  of  the  desert 
many  rivers  and  streams  empty,  but  the  lake  is  but 
little  changed  either  in  volume  or  its  waters  in  their 
great  salt-producing  capacity.  Several  large  islands 
are  in  the  lake,  and  upon  them,  as  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  territory,  the  same  combinations  of 
hot,  sulphur,  salt,  and  other  springs  are  visible. 

The  water  in  Salt  lake  is  of  an  average  depth  of 
ten  feet,  but  in  many  places  near  the  centre  its  depth 
is  much  greater.  Reports  from  time  to  time  of  great 
sink-holes  through  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  through 
which  the  waters  find  an  outlet  to  the  ocean,  or  into 
the  depths  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  are  incorrect. 
So  far,  no  outlet  has  been  discovered  for  the  waters, 
either  by  an  interior  passage  or  surface  stream,  and  the 
conclusion  that  the  waters  are  absorbed  by  percolation 
and  solar  evaporation  must  be  regarded  as  correct 


56o 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


until  further  evidences  of  other  sources  of  escape  are 
demonstrated. 

Salt  lakes,  salt  springs,  salt  beds,  and  salt  mountains 
abound  throughout  the  great  interior  basin  of  America. 
Arizona  and  Nevada  have  great  supplies  of  salt  in  their 
desert  regions,  as  well  as  sulphur,  alum,  borax,  soda, 
and  other  minerals;  but  the  great  salt  sea  of  Utah  sur- 
passes all  in  magnitude  and  in  capability  of  production. 

Notions  prevail  that  the  waters  of  Salt  lake  are  pure 
brine,  but  this  is  incorrect.  In  some  parts  of  Utah,  and 
indeed  close  to  the  lake,  are  springs  and  streams  of  this 
character,  but,  while  Salt  lake  is  the  saltest  body  of  water 
in  the  world  of  its  magnitude,  the  great  floods  of  water 
from  rivers  and  the  melting  snows  of  the  mountains 
finding  their  way  into  the  lake  much  reduce  the  saline 
quality  of  the  water. 

The  waters  of  the  Atlantic  ocean  yield  about  three 
per  cent,  of  saline  matter,  while  the  waters  of  the  Great 
Salt  lake  produce  twenty  per  cent,  of  pure  salt.  Salt 
lake  contains  about  a  thousand  billion  solid  feet  of 
water,  and  is  capable  of  producing  five  hundred  billiofi 
tons  of  salt,  which  would  supply  the  wants  of  the  present 
population  of  the  whole  globe  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years.  The  salt  of  this  vast  inland  sea  is  carried  from 
the  deserts,  salt  beds,  hill-sides,  and  salt  springs  of  the 
mountain-sides,  in  solution  into  this  great  salt  basin. 

During  the  whole  period  of  the  colonization  of 
America  and  the  progress  of  the  United  States,  up  to 
J  845,  nothing  comparatively  was  known  of  the  great 
interior  region  of  the  American  continent;  indeed, 
until  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  trappers,  no  Caucasian  eye  had  ever  seen 
Great  Salt  lake  and  its  vicinity.     As  early  as  the  year 


UTAH. 


561 


1 690,  Baron  Horton,  the  French  governor  of  the  colony 
of  Newfoundland,  had  made  a  journey  into  the  interior 
of  America,  and  is  supposed  to  have  reached  and  navi- 
gated the  Mississippi  river,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  he 
learned  from  tribes  of  natives,  who  brought  him  cap- 
tives of  other  tribes,  of  the  existence  of  a  great  inland 
salt  sea;  and  this  information,  communicated  by  the 
Baron  to  his  countrymen,  is  the  first  recorded  history 
we  have  touching  this  wondrous  lake.  The  Baron 
writes: 

"The  Mozeemlek  nation  is  numerous  and  puissant.  These  four 
captives  informed  me  that,  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues  from  where  I  then  was,  their  principal  river  empties  itself 
into  a  salt  lake  of  three  hundred  leagues  in  circumference,  the  mouth 
of  which  is  two  leagues  broad ;  that  there  are  a  hundred  towns, 
great  and  small,  around  that  sort  of  sea,  and  upon  it  they  navigate 
with  such  boats  as  you  see  drawn  on  the  map,  which  map  the 
Mozeemlek  people  drew  me  on  the  bark  of  trees ;  that  the  people 
of  that  country  made  stuffs,  copper  axes,  and  several  ''ler  manu- 
factures." 

We  next  find  mention  of  Salt  lake  and  its  vicinity  in 
a  publication  deriving  its  authority  on  this  subject  from 
the  accounts  of  the  natives  of  the  interior,  and  issued 
in  1772,  with  the  remarkable  title  of  "A  description  of 
the  Province  of  Carolana,  by  the  Spaniards  called 
Florida,  and  by  the  French  called  Louisiana ; "  in  which 
is  given  an  account  of  "a  lake  many  leagues  west  of 
the  mountains  in  which  there  is  no  living  creature,  but 
around  its  shores  the  spirits  inhabit  in  great  vapors ; 
and  out  of  that  lake  a  great  river  dise.nbogues  into  the 
South  sea." 

In  the  winter  of  1824-5,  a  party  of  American  trap- 
pers, connected  with  the  fur  company  of  Ashley,  Henry, 

and  others,  found  themselves  in  the  vicinity  of  Great 

36 


562 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


Salt  lake,  and  James  Bridger,  one  of  the  number,  was 
intrusted  to  follow  the  course  of  Bear  river,  in  which 
he  was  led  to  discover  the  lake,  and,  after  tasting  its 
water,  had  concluded  that  it  must  be  an  arm  of  the 
Pacific  ocean.  In  the  spring  of  1826,  four  men,  in  skin 
canoes,  explored  its  margin  and  islands  in  search  of  an 
outlet  and  in  pursuit  of  beaver,  neither  of  which  were 
found.  This  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  first  Ameri- 
can discovery  of  this  inland  sea,  and  James  Bridger  is 
supposed  to  have  been  the  real  discoverer. 

The  expeditions  fitted  out  by  the  United  States  in 
1842-5,  under  the  leadership  of  John  C.  Fremont,  and 
subsequent  scientific  expeditions,  brought  for  the  first 
time  to  the  notice  of  the  general  public  the  wonders  of 
Great  Salt  lake  and  its  vicinity,  and  the  final  settlement 
of  the  Mormon  pilgrims  at  this  point.  The  overland 
emigration  to  California  and  Oregon,  and  finally  the 
completion  of  the  great  overland  railroad,  connecting 
the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  oceans  by  steam,  and  passing 
close  to  the  northern  end  of  the  lake,  and  through  the 
entire  length  of  Utah,  has  brought  this  whole  region, 
with  its  natural  wonders  and  its  singular  people,  into 
direct  contact  with  the  public. 

The  traveller  will  now  find  in  Utah,  in  addition  to 
railroad  conveniences,  a  comfortable  steamboat  navi- 
gating the  waters  of  Great  Salt  lake. 


JOSEPH    SMITH, 
Founf"'  r  of  the  Mo'i.ian  Church. 


BRIGHAM  YOUNO,  HEAD   OF  THE  MORMON 
CHURCH. 


JOSEPH  F.   SMITH. 

(Nephew  of  Jo.  Smith,  Jr.,  and  one  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles.) 


MRS.   ALICE  YOUNG  CLAWSON. 

(BriTham  Young's  eldest  daughter — an  actress. 
Herself  and  her  two  sisters  are  married  to  H.  B. 
Clawson. ) 


GEORGE  A.  SMTTH,  FIRST  COUNSELLOR, 
CHTRCH  HISTORIAN.  NEXT  TO  YOUNG 
IN   AUTHORITY. 


ORSON    PRATT, 
ONli  OV  THE  TWELVE  APOSTLItt. 


ORSON   HYDE, 
PRiiSIDENT  OF  THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES. 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


563 


CHAPTER  }CXXIV. 

MORMONISM  AND  THE  MORMONS. 

Population  and  religions  of  the  world — Christianity — Mohamme- 
danism— Buddhism  —  Judaism  —  Mormonism :  its  rise,  progress, 
history,  and  practices — Joseph  the  prophet  and  his  followers — 
The  golden  plates  from  the  hill  Cumorah — Christ  in  America — 
Mormon  and  Moroni — John  the  Baptist  ordains  Joseph  Smitfi — 
Smith's  birth,  early  history,  life,  adventures,  and  death — Polyg- 
amy— Brigham  Young  :  his  birth,  history,  and  career — Desertion 
of  Nauvoo — Mormons  march  westward — Settle  at  Salt  lake — 
Their  city,  religion,  society,  and  practices — Despotism  in  Utah — 
Mormon  godhead. 

In  considering  the  peculiar  religious  tenets  of  the 
only  organized  religious  body  claiming  to  be  Christian 
which  still  practices,  as  a  part  of  its  faith,  polygamy, 
and  holds  a  distinct  revelation  from  God  to  its  prophet, 
it  is  well  to  briefly  review  the  several  religious  divisions 
of  the  earth,  and  the  leading  organized  religions  of  the 
world. 

The  population  of  the  globe  is  in  round  numbers 
about  1,381,000,000,  divided  as  follows:  380,000,000 
Caucasians,  200,000,000  Ethiopians,  220,000,000  Ma- 
lay; 1,000,000  American  Indians,  and  58o,ooo»ooo 
Mongolians. 

All  these  people  speak  3,064  languages  and  practice 
1,000  dififerent  religions,  which  may  be  classed  into  six 
general  divisions,  within  which  all  the  other  creeds  and 
denominations  exist.  These  general  divisions  of  course 
convey  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  the  religious  faith  of 
the  several  divisions  of  the  globe,  as  the  reader  may 
judge  from  the  fact  that  all  European  countries  and 
America  are  classed  as  Christian;  but  the  division  will 


5^4 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


at  least  form  a  general  estimate  without  going  into  cc*^-- 
plicated  details  of  enumeration.  The  six  great  religious 
organizations  represent  the  population  of  the  world  as 
follows:  Christians,  388,600,000;  Pagans,  200,000,000; 
Mohammedans,  165,400,000;  Jews,  7,000,000;  and 
Buddhists  and  other  Asiatic  religions,  620,000,000,  or 
almost  one-half  of  the  population  of  tlie  whole  globe. 

Xhe  countries  in  which  Christianity  is  the  prevailing 
religion  are  Europe,  America,  Australia,  some  of  the 
Polynesian  islands,  that  part  of  Russia  in  Asia,  and  a 
few  minor  places." 

Before  the  discovery  of  Japan  by  Pinto,  in  1 542,  it 
had  passed  through  many  religious  forms.  As  early 
as  1 549,  Xavier,  the  great  apostle  of  Cath'  "icism,  was 
received  by  the  Prince  of  Satsuma  into  the  empire,  and 
he  and  his  successors  had,  up  to  1 584,  converted  to  the 
Chrisvian  faith  1,800,000  Japanese,  and  had  200  priests 
established  in  the  country,  all  of  whom  were  subse- 
quently, by  edicts  of  banishment,  driven  from  the 
empire ;  since  which  time  no  trace  of  Christianity  has 
existed  in  the  land  until  the  year  1872,  when  an  im- 
perial decree  abolished  the  edicts  against  Christianity, 
some  of  which  had  been  strictly  enforced  for  more  than 
three  centuries.  The  royal  edicts  of  1872,  ordering 
the  Buddhist  priests  to  learn  trades  or  enter  the  army, 
under  pains  and  penalties  for  disobedience,  exhibit  a 
practical  turn  of  mind  in  the  Mikado  and  his  progress- 
ive advisers. 

Mohammedanism  prevails  in  Turkey,  Persia,  Afghan- 
istan, Morocco,  Egypt,  Tunis,  Tripoli,  and  numerous 
interior  States. 

Buddhism,  the  prevailing  religion  of  China  and  Japan, 
(modified  and  changed  in  some  places,)  extends  over 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


565 


India,  Farther  India,  China,  Japan,  Burmah,  and  Siam, 
and  other  portions  of  Asia;  and  the  seven  million  Jews 
are  "dispersed"  over  the  globe  as  follows:  in  Ger- 
many, 478,500;  Austria,  1,124,000;  Great  Britain, 
40,000;  France,  80,000 ;  European  Russia,  2,277,000; 
Italy,  20,200;  Switzerland,  4,200;  Belgium,  1,500; 
Netherlands,  64,000;  Luxemburg,  1,500;  Denmark, 
4,200;  Swtden,  1,000;  Greece,  500;  European  Turkey, 
70,000 ;  Portugal,  3,000 ;  Syria  and  Asiatic  Turkey, 
52,000;  Morocco  and  North  Africa,  610,000;  Eastern 
Asia,  500,800 ;  and  America,  500,000. 

Of  the  38,555,983  people  forming  the  population  of 
the  United  States,  according  to  the  census  of  1870, 
there  are  estimated  to  be  33,555,983  Protestants  and 
5,000,000  Catholics.  The  Catholics  belong  to  the 
Romish  church,  and  acknowledge  the  pope  as  the  sov- 
ereign head  of  the  church.  The  Protestants,  so  called, 
represent  every  conceivable  religion,  from  believing  in 
Christ,  either  as  the  Saviour  or  iis  a  moral  reformer 
simply,  or  the  intensest  atheism. 

Throughout  most  parts  of  the  world,  some  particular 
religious  order  is  established  and  maintained  by  legal 
authority;  as  the  Greek  church  in  Russia,  the  Episcopal 
church  in  England,  the  Catholic  church  in  Austria, 
Buddhism  in  China,  and  Sintooism  in  Japan.  In 
America,  there  are  no  religious  orders  or  sects  main- 
tained by  authority  of  the  government,  but  the  republic 
is  classed  among  the  Protestant  nations  of  the  world. 
All  persons  not  Catholics  are  supposed  to  be  and  are 
denominated  Protestants,  although  this  class  embraces 
hundreds  of  relimous  orders  differin""  almost  as  mucli 
from  each  other  as  do  the  Universalist  and  the  Catholic 
from  each  other. 


566 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  guarantee  of  equal  religious  freedom  assured 
to  all  by  the  federal  constitution  of  the  United  States 
gives  generous  scope  to  the  people  either  to  practise 
or  to  organize  new  forms  of  religion ;  but  with  few  ex- 
ceptions, new  religious  enterprises  have  been  barren 
of  desirable  results,  and  have  failed  to  attract  such  sup- 
port as  would  give  them  material  strength  and  national 
or  international  prominence. 

The  four  great  controlling  religions  of  the  world — 
Christianity,  Mohammedanism,  Judaism,  and  Budd- 
hism— had  their  origin  in  Asia  and  in  Europe,  as  is 
claimed,  under  the  direct  control  of  God  and  visitation 
of  angels.  But  whether  from  the  fact  of  the  turbid 
waters  of  the  Atlantic  not  being  inviting  for  aerial  celes- 
tial flights  from  the  Old  to  the  New  World,  or  that  the 
soil  of  the  new  continent  was  not  productive  of  worthy 
objects  of  "inspiration,"  America,  with  all  its  progress 
and  invention,  has  not  promulgated  a  religion  of  any 
great  magnitude,  and  its  people  have  received  but  few 
celestial  visitations,  and  these  generally  of  a  very  local 
and  imperfect  order,  and  generally  ending  in  complete 
failure.  True,  the  great  established  religious  bodies 
have  been  fearfully  mutilated,  and  limbs  lopped  off  and 
new  ones  engrafted,  but  generally  without  change  or 
injury  to  the  parent  body.  "Warnings,  visitations,  and 
dreams"  of  coming  events  have  been  "foreshadowed" 
to  "wise  ones,"  and  "visions"  have  proclaimed  the  "end 
of  the  world"  to  "chosen  ones,"  who  abandoned  their 
earthly  goods  preparatory  to  their  aerial  flight.  Trum- 
pets have  sounded  to  warn  people  of  the  "  coming  to 
pass"  of  the  destruction  of  the  race ;  but  a  few  days 
generally  found  the  disciples  of  such  doctrines  visiting 
the  "  groceries"  for  pork  and  beans,  and  their  "  celestial 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


567 


trumpets"  turned  into  fish-horns  to  aid  in  peddling 
clams,  or  gathering  old  clothes  and  "  soap-fat." 

"Spiritual  manifestations"  have  been  pretty  freely 
dispensed  in  America ;  and,  besides  the  "  appearance  " 
of  all  the  notables  of  our  own  cotintry,  Europe  and 
Asia  have  sent  us  some  of  their  choicest  brands.  Han- 
nibal, Julius  Caesar,  Confucius,  and  Napoleon  have 
"  come  over  the  seas,"  and,  through  "  mediums,"  given 
us  glimpses  of  cool  and  sulphurous  regions  without 
much  disturbing  the  equanimity  of  our  people. 

The  only  genuine  demonstration  that  we  have  yet 
had  in  America,  through  the  direct  medium  of  "  inspira- 
tion" and  "angels,"  was  the  "revelations"  made  to  the 
"  prophet "  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  Mormonism — 
the  new  American  religion  of  the  "  Disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints."  In  this  new  enterprise 
many  of  the  necessary  elements  in  successfully  estab- 
lishing religious  creeds  seem  well  defined :  the  obscu- 
rity, ignorance,  and  superstition  of  its  founder  and 
"prophet,"  and  the  "persecution"  of  its  disciples. 

Joseph  "the  prophet,"  vulgarly  called  Joseph  Smith, 
is  supposed  to  have  come  "  among  his  people  "  without 
any  mysterious  disturbances  of  the  ordered  laws  of 
nature  other  than  attend  the  birth  of  common  "sinners." 
His  father  in  the  flesh  was  a  plain,  medium-sized  man, 
without  education,  who  lived  by  doing  od  J  jobs  for  his 
neighbors,  telling  fortunes,  "finding  things  lost,"  and 
seeing  with  a  "  double  sight."  He  had  no  visible  physi- 
cal marks  to  distinguish  him  from  his  fellow-men,  save 
that  he  was  rather  taller  than  ordinary  persons,  had  a 
long  nose  and  a  large  mouth,  and  was  afflicted  with 
chronic  laziness. 

The  mother  of  the  "  prophet,"  whose  maiden  name 


568 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


was  Lucy  Mack,  is  said  to  have  belonged  to  the  "  lower 
order"  of  people.  She  was  a  simple-minded,  ignorant, 
unlettered  woman,  full  of  superstitious  notions,  and 
believing  in  "  signs"  and  dreams,  and  was  of  much  ser- 
vice to  her  husband,  Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  in  "divining" 
things.  This  pair  had  their  terrestrial  domicil  at  the 
litde  village  of  Sharon,  Windsor  county,  in  the  State 
of  Vermont;  and  here,  on  the  23d  of  December,  1805, 
Joseph  the  "prophet"  was  born.  It  is  not  recorded 
by  the  people  of  Sharon  that  there  were  any  terrestrial 
or  celestial  "signs"  to  proclaim  the  advent  of  the 
"  revealer  of  truth."  The  boy,  at  a  very  tender  age, 
exhibited  marked  symptoms  of  the  "talents"  of  his 
parents — ignorance,  superstition,  and  "sight-seeing;" 
and  soon  became  expert  in  "divining,"  and  the  use' of 
witch-hazel  in  locating  suitable  positions  for  his  neigh- 
bors' wells,  from  which  occupation  he  acquired  the  title 
of  "water-witch,"  in  which  he  much  delighted.  It  was 
in  one  of  these  wells,  located  by  his  "  divining-rod,"  that 
he  once  found  the  "mysterious  peep-stone,"  through 
which  he  could  see  all  things,  "past,  present,  and  to 
come ;"  and  by  which  he  could,  like  his  earthly  progeni- 
tor, "  find  things  lost."  Indeed,  the  boy  seemed  to  have 
absorbed  the  whole  of  the  varied  "  talents "  of  his 
parents,  as  the  rest  of  the  family  seem  to  be  only  like 
other  poor,  ignorant  people. 

In  the  year  181 5,  when  Joseph  was  ten  years  of  age, 
the  family  with  the  young  "prophet"  settled  in  Wayne 
county,  near  the  village  of  Palmyra,  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  where  they  remained  for  ten  years.  At 
the  end  of  this  period  the  "  prophet"  was  twenty  years 
of  age,  and  had  considerably  developed  his  "talent"  as 
"water-witch"  and    "sight-seer,"  and   "revealing"  the 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS.  569 

location  of  "lost,  strayed,  or  stolen"  cattle  or  goods, 
and  the  "burled  treasures  of  the  pirates,"  in  all  of 
which  he  spent  much  of  his  time  when  not  employed 
in  hewing  wood  and  drawing  water,  or  feeding  the  hogs 
and  stock  of  his  neighbors,  at  a  monthly  stipend  of  six 
dollars. 

On  leaving  Wayne  county,  the  "Smith  family"  moved 
to  the  adjoining  county  of  Ontario,  taking  up  their 
abode  near  Manchester. 

It  is  reported  by  Joseph  that,  at  the  tender  years  of 
sixteen,  he  had  a  "visitation,"  warning  him  of  the 
danger  of  his  losing  his  soul,  and  of  the  ungodly 
character  of  the  organized  religious  institutions  of  his 
time;  and  that  while  at  prayer  "in  the  bush"  at  the 
rear  of  the»^aternal  mansion,  in  Ontario  county,  a 
celestial  pyrotechnic  display  illuminated  the  forest  and 
"the  person  of  the  prophet,"  and  in  a  "vision"  he  saw 
two  angels,  who  brought  unto  him  the  glad  news  of  the 
forgiveness  of  his  sins,  and  that  he  was  chosen  by  God 
to  reveal  the  "true  religion"  and  dispel  all  existing  sects. 
On  the  23d  of  September,  1823,  the  prayers  of  Joseph 
brought  him  another  visit  from  angels,  and  renewed 
assurance  of  heavenly  powers,  and  finally  "revealing" 
to  him  that  his  hand  should  draw  forth  from  "  the  hill 
Cumor'ah"  t\\Q  plates  o/£o/d  whereon  were  inscribed,  in 
a  language  known  only  to  himself,  the  gospel  of  the 
true  God. 

On  the  2  2d  of  September,  1826,  in  the  midst  of 
angels  and  revolting  devils,  "  with  a  mighty  display  of 
celestial  machinery,"  Joseph,  unaccompanied,  save  by 
the  "  messengers,"  extracted  from  the  hill  Cumorah, 
near  Manchester,  the  domicil  of  his  parents  in  Ontario 
county.    New   York,   a   "mysterious    box,   containing 


570 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


golden  plates  of  the  thickness  of  tin,  bound  together 
like  a  book,  fastened  at  one  side  by  three  rings,  which 
run  through  the  whole,  forming  a  volume  about  six 
inches  thick,"  upon  which  was  engraved,  in  "reformed 
Egyptian,  the  language  of  the  Jews  and  the  writings  of 
the  Egyptians."  The  box  also  contained  four  precious 
stones,  "transparent  and  clear  as  crystal — the  Urim 
and  Thui7tmi?n  used  by  seers  in  ancient  times — the  In- 
struments of  revelations  of  things  distant,  past,  and 
future." 

From  these  golden  plates  Joseph,  by  inspiration, 
translated  the  "  Book  of  Mormon,"  the  Bible  of  the 
Mormons,  which  was  first  published  in  1830  by  Pome- 
roy  Tucker,  of  Ontario  county,  New  York.  The  divine 
authenticity  of  the  work  being  doubted  by  "unbeliev- 
ers," the  Lord  sent  living  witnesses  in  the  persons  of 
three  "  disciples" — David  Whitmer,  an  obscure,  simple 
man,  Martin  Harris,  a  superstitious  neighbor  of  the 
young  "prophet,"  and  Oliver  Cowdery,  an  itinerant 
scribe,  who  aided  Joseph  in  the  translation — all  of  whom 
make  the  solemn  declaration  attached  to  the  printed 
copies  of  the  "  Book  of  Mormon,"  as  follows : 

"We  have  seen  the  plates  which  contain  the  records.  They  were 
translated  by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  for  His  voice  hath  de- 
clared it  unto  us,  wherefore  we  know  of  a  surety  that  the  work  is 
true;  and  we  declare,  with  words  of  soberness,  that  an  aiigel  of 
God  came  down  from  heaven,  and  brought  and  laid  before  our  eyes, 
that  we  beheld  and  saw  the  plates  and  the  engravings  thereon." 

.  Other  disciples  of  the  "  prophet"  followed  with  evi- 
dence of  the  "divine  origin"  of  the  plates.  Among 
these  testifying  were  three  of  the  Smith  family,  besides 
a  number  of  the  immediate  friends  and  neighbors  of 
Joseph.     They  certify  : 


sz 


\ 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


571 


**  Joseph  Smith,  the  translator,  has  shown  us  the  plates  of  which 
hath  been  spoken,  which  had  the  appearance  of  gold ;  and  as  many 
of  the  plates  as  the  said  Smith  had  translated  we  did  handle  with 
our  hands;  and  also  saw  the  engravings  thereon;  all  of  which  had 
the  appearance  of  ancient  work  and  curious  workmanship." 


The  account  given  of  the  origin  of  the  golden  plates, 
and  the  necessity  of  their  discovery,  as  given  by  Smith, 
together  with  the  "  evidence"  of  those  who  "  saw"  the 
plates,  is  doubtless  sufficient  evidence  to  establish,  in 
the  minds  of  many,  the  "  divine  origin"  of  the  "  Book 
of  Mormon;"  and  however  shallow  and  absurd  it  may 
be,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  it  is  but  little  more 
absurd  and  unnatural  than  the  basis  upon  which  thou- 
sands, if  not  millions,  of  the  race  found  their  faith. 

The  prophet  Joseph  says  that,  about  six  hundred 
years  before  Christ,  God  warned  a  band  of  Israelites 
at  Jerusalem  of  approaching  captivity  and  destruction, 
and  directed  them  eastward  to  seek  the  "promised 
land ;"  that  when  at  the  sea,  Nephi,  the  leader  of  the 
band,  was  directed  by  angels  to  build  a  craft,  upon 
which  a  "  double  ball  and  spindle  "  were  attached,  in 
which  the  Israelites  set  sail  for  the  west,  and  landed  all 
safe  in  Central  America,  (Columbus  had  hot  yet  started 
his  ships  toward  the  new  world.)  After  spending  some 
time  in  South  America,  where  they  "multiplied,"  a 
vicious  Jew  of  the  name  of  Laman  got  up  a  conspiracy 
against  the  "  priesthood,"  for  which  all  hands,  priests 
and  all,  were  "  cursed  "  and  doomed  henceforth  "  to 
^e  a  brutish  and  a  savage  people,  having  dark  skins, 
compelled  to  dig  in  the  ground  for  roots,  and  hunt 
their  meat  in  the  forests  like  beasts  of  prey."  It,  how- 
ever, was  prophesied  that  God  would  eventually  rescue 
a  portion  of  the  tribe,  who  should   "  have  the  curse 


572 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


removed,  and  become  a  fair  and  delightsome  people," 
who,   in  coming  time,   should   "  blossom  as  the  rose 
under  the  teachings  of  the  Latter-day  Saints."     The 
party   upon  whom   the    "curse"   remained   were   the 
followers  of  Laman,  called  the  Lamanites,  from  whom 
sprang   the  American    Indians ;   and   from  the   party 
having  the  curse   re7iioved  came  the  Nephites,  called 
after  Nephi,  their  first  ruler.     Alma,  Kish,  Noah,  and 
others  had  ruled  these  people,  who,  like  the  Lamanites* 
had  spread  over  the  whole  American  continent,  built 
cities,  and  carried  on  protracted  wars  in  which  hundreds 
of  thousands  were  slain.     Local  disorders,  caused  by 
"false  prophets,"   had  long  disturbed  the  composure 
of  the  Nephites,  who  had  become  numerous  and  power- 
ful, holding  complete  dominion  of  a  great  part  of  in- 
terior America;  finally  powerful  bands  from  the  Rocky 
mountains  came  down  and  drove  the  Nephites  east,  to 
the  waters  of  Lake  Erie,  where  a  vigorous  stand  was 
made,  in  wnich  the  Nephites  were  worsted. , 

After  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  at  Jerusalem,  he  came 
over  to  America,  and  dispensed  his  gospel  to  the  tribes 
of  the  "  lost  children  of  Israel,"  making  many  converts 
among  the  Nephites.  But  the  new  disciples  were 
doomed  to  defeat  and  annihilation  ;  from  the  north 
came  down  the  famous  mountain  chief,  Onandagus,  and 
*'  covered  the  whole  land  with  dead  bodies." 

The  fierce  Lamanites  with  the  "  curse"  on  them 
were  still  in  rebellion,  and  after  pushing  the  Nephites 
from  the  mountains,  across  the  Mississippi,  and  beyond 
the  lakes,  finally  surrounded  them  in  Ontario  county, 
New  York,  where,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  430,  at  the 
hill  Cumorah,  two  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  of 
the  Christian  Nephites  lay  slain.    Mormon,  and  his  son 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


573 


Moroni,  of  all  this  once  powerful  nation,  remained. 
By  these  the  history  of  their  extinct  race  was  perpetu- 
ated. Mormon  having  added  an  account  of  his  de- 
parted people,  and  being  assured  by  angels  from 
heaven  that  in  lapse  of  time  the  hand  of  a  prophet 
should  restore  the  record  to  the  world,  took  the  sacred 
volume  and  delivered  it  into  the  hands  of  his  son  Mo- 
roni, who,  in  obedience  to  his  father's  injunction,  buried 
it  in  the  hill  Cumorah,  which  is  in  the  county  of  Ontario, 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  from  whence,  on  the  2 2d 
day  of  September,  1826,  according  to  prophecy,  .hey 
were  brought  forth  by  the  hand  of  "Joseph  cha 
prophet." 

This  is  the  record  left  by  Joseph  Smith  of  the  origin 
of  the  new  religion  of  "  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,"  of  which  he  was  the  founder.  The 
sect  and  their  book  take  their  names  from  the  preserver 
of  the  records  of  the  Christian  Nephites,  Mormon, 
whose  volume,  "The  Book  of  Mormon,"  as  translated  by 
Joseph,  was  first  given  to  the  world  from  the  press  ^i  a 
newspaper  office  in  Ontario  county,  New  York,  in  1830. 

In  denial  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, it  is  stated  that,  in  181 2,  the  Rev.  Solomon  Spaul- 
ding,  a  Presbyterian  minister,  who  from  failing  health 
had  left  his  profession,  had  written  a  romance  called 
the  ''Manuscript  Fomtd,'*  having  its  principal  scenes 
laid  in  the  history  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  interior  of 
America.  The  manuscript  Mr.  Spaulding  endeavored 
to  have  printed  by  Mr.  Patterson,  of  Pittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  others,  desiring  it  to  be  prefaced  as 
deciphered  from  plates  dug  from  the  earth  in  Ohio. 
But  failing  in  this,  the  manuscript  was  left  in  the  hands 


«*' 


574 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


\ 


of  Mr.  Patterson,  who  kept  a  printing  office,  in  which 
Sidney  Rigdon,  one  of  the  "  founders  of  the  faith,"  was 
employed.  Patterson  died  in  1826,  but  the  manuscript 
was  never  after  seen  by  any  of  his  friends. 

Mrs.  Spaulding,  the  widow  of  the  author  of  "  Matm- 
script  Founds*  avers  that  she  had  a  complete  copy  of 
her  husband's  book  in  manuscript;  and,  in  1825',  while 
residing  in  Ontario  county.  New  York,  that  Joe 
Smith  was  digging  a  well  for  a  Mr.  Stroud,  who  lived 
next  door  to  her,  and  that  her  copy  of  the  book  disap- 
peared from  her  trunk. 

When  the  "Book  of  Mormon"  appeared,  the  rela- 
tives of  Patterson,  the  printer,  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  and 
her  relatives  recognized  the  latter  as  an  interpolation  of 
*'  Manuscript  Found','  and  published  all  the  facts;  only, 
however,  to  draw  from  Smith,  Rigdon,  and  their  fol- 
lowers cries  of  "  persecution." 

Mormonism.was  being  promulgated  as  early  as  the 
15th  of  May,  1829.  John  the  Baptist  appeared  among 
the  disciples  and  ordained  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  in  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April,  1830,  near  the  town  of  Manchester,  the  home 
of  the  prophet,  the  "  Mormon  church"  was  organized 
with  the  friends  and  family  of  Joseph,  six  in  all,  consist- 
ing of  Joseph  Smith,  his  father  Joseph,  senior,  Samuel 
Smith,  Hyrum  Smith,  Joseph  Knight,  and  Oliver  Cow- 
dery. The  laying  on  of  hands  "  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Ghost"  followed  the  sacrament,  which  had  been  par- 
taken of  by  all,  and  on  the  i  ith  of  April,  1830,  the  first 
Mormon  sermon  was  preached  by  Oliver  Cowdery, 
soon  after  followed  by  a  "  miracle,"  and  a  first  "  confer- 
ence "  on  June  ist  following.     The  wife  of  the  prophet 


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MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


575 


Joseph  was,  by  special  revelation,  proclaimed  "Elect 
Lady  and  Dauf;hter  of  God." 

Soon  acquisitions  to  the  "  revealed  truth"  from  all 
aides  poured  in,  and  zealous  preachers  were  sent 
among  the  Gentiles  and  Lamanites  to  tell  them  of  the 
fulfilment  of  the  prophecy. 

At  first,  the  "  doctrines"  of  the  church  were  not  very 
definite ;  any  views  suited  to  attract  superstitious,  sim- 
ple-minded persons,  seeking  for  "signs,"  "wonders," 
and  "revelations"  were  acceptable.  The  "destruction 
of  the  world"  was  very  effective  in  drawing  timid 
women  and  semi-idiotic  men  into  the  circle  of  the 
"  saints." 

Joseph  Smith  soon  assumed  absolute  control  of  the 
Mormon  church,  not  alone  from  the  fact  that  he  had 
been  "inspired  by  God  to  reveal  the  truth,"  but  that  he 
was  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  by 
"revelation"  was  to  direct  the  spiritual  and  temporal 
affairs  of  "  his  people."  So  step  by  step  during  the  life 
of  Smith,  and  through  the  reign  of  Brigham  Young, 
the  affairs  of  the  Mormon  church  and  people  have  been 
directed  by  "  revelation." 

During  the  latter  part  of  1830  and  the  early  part  of 
1 83 1,  nearly  "11  the  saints  had  departed  from  New  York 
State  and  settled  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  proselyting  on  their 
journey  west. 

In  June,  1 831,  Joseph  Smith,  with  a  few  chosen  elders, 
A^ere  on  the  march  to  "Zion,  which  should  never  be 
moved,"  as  Joseph  had  a  revelation  that  Jackson  county, 
Missouri,  had  been  "solemnly  dedicated  to  the  Lord 
and  His  saints,"  and  here  they  began  to  establish 
themselves.  The  early  convercs,  including  the  Smiths 
and  fi  lends,  were  "  dispensing  the  gospel,"  while  Joseph 


576 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  opened  a  bank,  which  soon 
failed.  Among  other  active  missionaries  in  the  field 
was  Samuel  H.  Smith,  the  brother  of  Joseph,  whose 
ministrations  '•  brought  to  the  fold"  the  grandest  apostle 
of  them  all  in  the  person  of  Brigham  Young,  "  Prophet, 
Priest,  Seer,  Revealer  in  all  the  world ;  first  President 
and  Trustee-in-trust  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,"  and  late  Governor  of  the  Territory 
of  Utah ;  who,  with  his  four  brothers  and  six  sisters,  all 
embraced  the  new  r  liglon. 

The  State  of  Vermont,  the  birthplace  of  Joseph 
Smith,  also  produced  the  great  polygamist  Brigham 
Young,  who  was  born  at  Whittingham,  Windham 
county,  in  that  State,  on  the  ist  of  June,  1801.  Brig- 
ham, who  was  raised  on  a  farm,  had  at  an  early  age 
learned  the  painting  and  glazing  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed yntil  the  rich  field  of  Mormonism  opened  for  his 
splendid  talents  as  a  ruler. 

With  the  growth  of  Mormonism,  its  leaders  became 
bold  and  defiant,  proclaiming  themselves  kings  and 
rulers,  before  whom  all  others  must  bow,  and  that 
eventually  they  would  drive  all  "  disbelievers  "  out  of 
the  country. 

So  violent  and  intemperat'^  had  become  the  leaders 
of  the  new  religion,  and  so  obnoxious  had  they  rendered 
themselves  to  the  .people  of  Missouri,  that,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1833,  the  inhabitants  assembled  at  Independ- 
ence, the  head-quarters  of  the  Mormons,  destroyed 
their  newspaper  ofifice,  whipped,  tarred  and  feathered 
some  of  the  leaders,  and  after  serious  conflirts,  in 
which  some  of  the  populace  were  slain  ir.  a  hanr-to- 
hand  conflict,  the  Mormons  retreated,  evacuated  jack- 
son  county,  and  headed  west ;  and,  on  the  nights  of 


MORMOmSM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


577 


November  4  and  5,  crossed  the  Missouri  river  into 
Clay  county.  After  a  brief  sojourn  at  Liberty,  Clay 
county,  Missouri,  in  May,  1836,  on  warning  of  the 
people  "to  leave,"  they  evacuated  Clay  county,  and 
located  in  the  counties  of  Davis,  Carroll,  and  Caldwell. 
The  organization  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  was  still  maintained. 
Joseph  had  marched  with  an  army  into  Missouri  to 
avenge  the  wrongs  of  his  people,  but  the  cholera  over- 
took the  prophet  and  his  soldiers,  and  drove  them  from 
the  field.  Meantime  Smith  had  finished  an  "inspired 
translation  "  of  the  Old  Testament ;  Brigham  had  re- 
ceived the  "gift  of  tonguQS,"  and  he  and  Heber  C. 
Kimball,  and  others  of  "the  twelve  apostles,"  in  1835, 
Started  from  Kirtland  on  their  missionar)  labors,  adopt- 
ing the  name  of  "  Latter-day  Saints,"  as  the  world  was 
soon  to  be  destroyed,  and  they  would  be  the  last  saints 
of  earth.  Continuous  conflicts  between  the  saints  and 
people  of  Missouri  kept  several  counties  of  the  State 
in  war,  and  the  disorders  of  dissenting  saints  kept  the 
leaders  in  endless  confusion  and  dread.  As  early  as 
June,  foreign  missions  were  organized,  and  Orson 
Hyde,  H,  C.  Kimball,  and  W.  ilichards  s^nt  to  Eng- 
land, where  many  converts  were  made. 

The  seat  of  Mormonism  was  in  confusion.  Multi- 
plied crimes  caused  Governor  Boggs  to  issue  an  order 
of  banishment  of  the  saints  out  of  the  State,  "even  if 
it  was  necessary  to  exterminate  them."  Smith  and 
Rigdon  were  flying  from  the  angry  creditors  of  their 
decayed  bank,  and  Brigham  Young,  for  participation  in 
evils,  was  heading  for  Quincy,  Illinois.  Armed  bands 
of  Mormons  were  in  the  field,  and  the  State  militia  of 
Missouri,  under  the  call  of  the  governor,  had  met  and 
defeated  the  saints,  and  after  their  leaders  had  been 

37 


578 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


V    r 


held  to  trial  "  for  treason,  murder,  robbery,  arson,  and 
larceny,"  the  whole  Mormon  community  in  Missouri, 
numbering  more  than  twelve  thousand,  now  headed  for 
Illinois,  and  in  January,  1839,  setded  at  Quincy,  Adams 
county,  and  c  h^r  parts  of  the  State.  By  this  time  the 
"persecutions  .he   Mormons  gained  them  in'icli 

sympathy  as  they  .andered  west,  and,  either  through 
negligence  or  the  desire  of  the  people  of  Missouri  to 
be  relieved  as  easily  as  possible  of  the  Mormon  pris- 
oners. Smith  and  his  associates  escaped  from  their 
guards,  and  headed  for  Illinois ;  and  he  and  his  people, , 
on  the  I  ith  of  June,  1839,  Jaid  the  foundations  of  their 
famous  city  of  Nauvoo,  in  Hancock  county,  wherein 
great  activity  and  zeal  were  manifested.  A  thriving 
city  rose  as  if  by  magic,  missionaries  issued  in  every 
direction,  and  Brigham  Young,  as  "president  of  the 
twelve  apostles,"  had,  in  April,  1840,  arrived  in  England, 
where  great  success  attended  the  missionary  efforts  of 
"Latter-day  Saints,"  who,  early  in  the  year  1841,  led 
to  their  "  Zion"  in  the  wilderness  nearly  eight  hundred 
English  converts  to  the  "faith."  On  October  3,  1840, 
the  foundations  of  the  great  temple,  which  Joseph 
had  spiritual  command  to  erect,  were  laid,  and  Nauvoo 
attained  an  important  position,  and  the  "  prophet"  and 
his  dis  iples  assumed  spiritual  and  temporal  supervision 
of  all  with  whom  they  came  in  contact,  proclaiming  the 
speedy  conversion  of  the  whole  world  to  the  "  revealed 
religion  of  Mormon." 

The  new  religion  and  its  followers,  however,  were 
doomed  to  further  "persecution  for  the  Lord's  sake." 
The  liberties  of  the  saints  had  drawn  to  their  circle 
hundreds  of  designing,  vicious,  and  cunning  rascals, 
who,  playing  upon  the  weak  minds  of  the  enthusiastic 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


579 


id 


:le 

-Is, 
tic 


converts,  led  them  into  all  manner  of  excesses  and 
crimes  against  the  "Gentiles,"  who   finally,  dreading, 
the  political  influence  of  the  sect,  and  the  power  of  the 
"Nauvoo  legion,"  rose  and  drove  them  from  the  land. 

The  prophet  had,  in  1844,  nominated  himself  for  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States,  and  his  people  had 
placed  him  as  lieutenant-general  at  the  head  of  the 
"  Nauvoo  legion."  Courts  and  all  local  authority  were 
controlled  by  the  Mormons,  and  a  political  and  social 
war  waged  against  the  "Gentiles;"  new  orders  of  priestly 
functions  and  nobility  were  established,  ending  in  the 
crowning  and  anointing  of  Joseph  as  king  and  high 
priest,  and  claiming  his  direct  descent  from  Joseph,  the 
son  of  Jacob. 

Plurality  of  wives  had  gradually  crept  into  the  order 
at  Nauvoo,  and  Joseph  and  his  elders  reaped  a  rich 
harvest  of  spiritual  wives  from  the  fairest  doves  of 
their  flocks. 

The  final  end  of  the  prophet  of  the  "  revealed  truth" 
was  at  hand.  A  number  of  Mormons,  including  Smith, 
had,  on  the  24th  of  June,  1844,  been  arrested,  and  were 
held  in  jail  at  Carthage,  near  Nauvoo.  Soon,  however, 
all  except  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother,  Hyrum,  were 
released,  but  their  offences  appearing  great  they  were 
held  in  custody.  The  political  and  military  power  of 
the  Mormons  had  now  become  so  great  in  the  city  of 
Nauvoo  and  vicinity,  and  their  crimes  so  appalling,  that 
the  people  had  determined  to  take  the  law  into  their 
own  hands,  and  avenge  themselves.  The  most  effective 
way  to  accomplish  this,  and  to  insure  future  security, 
they  thought,  was  to  strike  at  the  fountain-head ;  so  the 
life  of  the  prophet  must  atone  the  wrongs  of  his  people. 
A  band  of  citizens,  disguised  and  armed,  had  entered 


58o 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE'. 


into  a  conspiracy  with  the  guard,  so  that  easy  access 
was  had  to  the  jail.  About  six  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  27th  of  June,  1844,  this  band  forced  open  the 
prison  doors,  shot  and  killed  Hyrum  Smith  instantly. 
Joseph,  who  was  armed  with  a  pistol,  bravely  defended 
himself,  ascended  to  the  upper  part  of  the  jail,  and 
sprang  from  the  window  to  the  ground,  receiving  stun- 
ning injuries,  and  in  his  helpless  condition  was  brutally 
murdered  by  being  riddled  by  the  balls  from  the  guns 
of  his  assassins. 

Thus  fell  the  great  American  prophet  at  the  early 
age  of  thirty-nine  years,  full  of  spiritual  and  muscular 
strength,  fair  and  comely,  erect  in  his  six  feet  of  manly 
beauty — the  proud  commander  of  his  sect  and  the 
admired  of  his  '*  sisters  in  the  Lord." 

The  death  of  Joseph  spread  a  pall  of  mourning  over 
Nauvoo :  the  wives  and  people  of  the  "  founder  of  the 
faith"  joined  in  sending  lamentations  to  he?ven  for  the 
slain  king,  upon  whose  head  they  placed  the  martyr's 
crown  dyed  in  the  blood  of  sacrifice. 

On  the  death  of  tlie  prophet  dissensions  sprang  up 
among  his  people,  and  the  church  and  saints  looked 
for  "  signs"  of  a  leader.  Joseph  had  a  son  named  after 
himself,  but  it  was  said  by  the  prophet  that  "  the  man 
was  not  born  v/ho  was  to  lead  this  people." 

Many  of  the  "saints"  had  revelations  of  special  mis- 
sions and  authority  to  succeed  Joseph,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. 

Brigham  Young,  wio  was  at  the  head  of  the  twelve 
apostles,  at  once  took  a  leading  position,  and  on  the 
15th  of  August,  1844,  an  "encyclical  letter  to  all  the 
saints  in  the  world"  was  issued  by  himself  and  his 
apostles,,     On  the  7th  of  October,  a  general  council  of 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS.  58 1 

the  Mormons  at  Nauvoo  decided  to  leave  the  govern- 
ment of  the  "  church"  with  the  "  colleee  of  the  twelve 
apostles,"  at  the  head  of  which  was  Brigham  Young. 
From  this  period  dates  the  rule  of  the  man  who  built 
up  Nauvoo  until  it  spread  over  an  area  of  six  square 
miles,  with  its  magnificent  temple,  costing  over  a  million 
dollars,  and  xtsf/teen  tJionsand  saints. 

Continued  conflicts  between  the  Mormons  and  the 
Gentiles,  with  charges  of  murder,  arson,  counterfeiting, 
and  other  crimes,  aroused  the  people  of  Illinois ;  and, 
warned  by  an  approaching  general  uprising  to  exter- 
minate them,  the  whole  Mormon  people  commenced 
the  evacuation  of  their  city  and  temple,  and,  bidding 
adieu  to  Nauvoo,  in  the  winter  of  1845-6,  headed  by 
Brigham  Young  and  his  fellow-apostles,  turned  their 
faces  toward  the  great  desert,  in  the  direction  of  the 
setting  sun.  Fifteen  thousand  men,  women,  and  children, 
with  their  sluggish  ox-teams,  numbering  many  thou- 
sands, plunged  into  the  dead  of  winter,  experiencing 
untold  miseries,  privations,  nnd  death,  wended  their 
tedious  journey  over  the  precipitous  mountains  and  arid 
plains,  leaving  the  new-made  graves  of  their  fellows  to 
mark  their  sad  pilgrimage  beyond  the  reach  of  per- 
secution. 

The  Mormon  leaders  had  no  settled  views  of  a  per- 
manent location,  further  than  that  in  some  quarter  of 
the  Pacific  coast  they  might  find  refuge  from  Gentile 
Intolerance.  Oregon,  Vancouver  island,  the  Sandwich 
islands,  and  the  Spanish  Territory  of  California  were 
all  looked  to  as  suitable  fields  of  retreat ;  and,  in  the 
hope  of  reaching  the  latter  Territory,  five  hundred 
Mormons  joined  the  expedition  of  General  Kearney, 
which  left  Fort  Leavenworth,  on  the  Missouri,  in  June, 


582 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


\.    > 


1846,  marching  by  way  of  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  and 
the  Gila,  until  it  reached  the  coast  of  California.  Many 
of  these  people  finally  settled  in  California ;  and  on  the 
discovery  of  gold,  in  1 848,  abandoned  San  Francisco 
and  the  lower  country  and  went  to  the  mines. 

In  1845,  ^"^  while  California  was  yet  a  Spanish 
colony,  an  expedition  of  saints  was  fitted  out,  and  sailed 
in  due  time  from  the  city  of  New  York  on  board  the 
ship  Brooklyn.  She  made  the  voyage  safely  round 
Cape  Horn,  and  first  visited  the  Sandwich  islands  ;  and 
finally,  on  the  31st  of  July,  1846,  (twenty-four  days 
after  Commodore  Sloat  had  hoisted  the  American  flag 
over  California,)  entered  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco, 
where  the  Mormons  pitched  their  tents  on  the  adjacent 
sand-hills,  and,  under  the  leadership  of  Samuel  Bran- 
nan,  a  shrewd  Maine  Yankee,  maintained  an  organiza- 
tion until  the  discovery  of  gold,  in  1848;  when  the 
consequent  fever  infesting  the  whole  camp,  the  saints, 
leader  and  all,  started  for  the  mines.  This  broke  up 
the  design  of  permanent  settlement  on  the  Pacific 
shores,  west  of  the  Sierras. 

During  this  period,  the  main  body  of  the  Mormons 
had  collected  near  Omaha,  where,- under  the  executive 
talent  of  their  new  leader,  they  had  consolidated  their 
strength,  and  the  people  unanimously  proclaimed  shat 
"  the  mantle  of  the  prophet  Joseph  had  fallen  on  the 
seer  and  revelator,  Brigham  Young." 

The  object  of  the  saints  now  was  to  reach  the  Pacific 
and  join  their  brethren  gone  before  them  by  sea.  Presi- 
dent Young  accordingly,  at  the  head  of  the  pioneer  pil- 
grims, consisting  of  one  hundred  and  forty-three  men, 
with  seventy  wagons,  left  Omaha,  on  the  14th  of  April, 
1847;  ^^^>  after  a  three  montlis  journey  '  .:ross  the 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


583 


trackless  desert,  on  the  24Lh  of  July  following,  entered 
the  valley  of  Great  Salt  lake.  Here  the  saints  pitched 
their  tents,  fully  believing  that  in  this  most  secluded 
and  unfrequented  region  of  the  continent  they  might 
live  unmolested  for  centuries.  But  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California,  in  1848,  led  the  people  of  the  East 
across  the  plains  in  vast  numbers ;  and  the  trail  of  the 
pioneer  saints  to  their  Jordan  and  Zion  in  the  desert 
was  made  the  highway  of  the  vast  emigrant  trains  and 
bands  of  gold-hunters,  and  Salt  lake  became  the  best 
known  section  of  America  west  of  the  Missouri. 

The  acquisition  of  California  brought  the  Territory 
of  Utah,  then  a  part  of  California,  under  the  dominion 
of  the  United  States;  a  fact  which  the  saints  have  been 
loath  to  learn,  as  from  their  first  setdement  they  have 
had  absolute  social,  religious,  and  political  control  of 
the  country,  in  utter  defiance  of  federal  laws  and  the 
national  constitution. 

As  early  as  the  5th  of  March,  1849,  ^^  Mormon 
leaders  assumed  sovereign  dominion  over  their  "Zion," 
by  the  meeting  of  a  convention  at  Salt  Lake  City  "of 
all  the  citizens  of  that  portion  of  Upper  California 
lying  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  mountain.^  'c>  take 
into  consideration  the  propriety  of  organizing  a  terri- 
torial or  State  government."  The  convention  estab- 
lished the  "  free  and  independent  State  of  Dcseret" 
elected  State  officers,  and  finally  applied  to  Congress 
for  admission  as  a  State  into  the  Union.  Congress 
declined,  however,  to  admit  the  new  State;  but,  on 
September  9,  1850,  organized  the  Territory  of  Utah, 
President  Fillmore  appointing  Brigham  Young  gov- 
ernor. From  that  period  forward  national  authority 
has  been  completely  ignored  by  the  Mormons,  until  the 


584 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


years  187 1-2,  when  the  federal  territorial  officers,  foi 
the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  Territory,  seemed  to 
comprehend  that  Utah  was  not  a  foreign  nation,  but 
was  subject  to  the  authority  and  laws  of  the  United 
States. 

During  the  rebellion  of  1861-5,  active  measures 
were  adopted  by  the  Mormon  leaders,  looking  to  the 
separation  of  Utah  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United 
States,  and  the  establishing  of  an  independent  gov- 
ernment; while  not  a  man,  dollar,  nor  sign  of  in- 
terest or  sympathy  was  offered  to  the  national  gov- 
ernment. Repeated  efforts,  from  time  to  time,  have 
been  made  to  induce  the  Federal  Congress  to  admit 
Utah  as  a  State,  the  last  time  being  on  the  iSth  of 
March,  1872,  when  an  election  was^held,  a  constitution 
adopted.  United  States  Senators  elected,  and  the  "State 
of  Deseret "  once  more  sought  in  vain  admission  into 
the  Union.  At  the  election  in  March,  1872,  all  the 
women  in  the  Territory  over  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
regardless  of  birthplace  or  nationality,  voted.  The 
Gentile  population  being  so  small  a  minority,  did  not 
offer  any  opposition,  nor  vote  at  this  election. 

Brigham  Young,  who  had  ruled  as  a  despot  at  the 
head  of  the  Mormon  church,  had,  by  federal  appoint- 
ment, held  the  office  of  territorial  governor  from  1850 
until  the  early  part  of  1858,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Governor  Gumming,  who,  with  Colonel  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  (late  of  the  Confederate  army,)  led 
James  Buchanan's  "  army  of  invasion "  into  Utah  to 
quell  the  "  Mormon  rebellion,"  which  had  driven  the 
federal  officers  from  the  Territory,  and,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Governor  Brigham  Young,  had  assumed 
alarming  proportions ;   and  drew  from   the   Mormon 


ti 


CJ 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


585 


d 

n 


chief  his  famous  edict,  addressed  to  the  commander  of 
the  federal  forces  sent  into  the  Territory  to  enforce 
order; 

Governor's  Office,  Utah  Territory, 
Great  Salt  Lake  City,  September  2(),  1857. 

Sir:  By  reference  to  the  act  of  Congress  passed  September 
9,  1850,  organizing  the  Territory  of  Utah,  published  in  a  copy  of 
the  Laws  of  Utah,  herewith,  p.  146,  chap.  7,  you  will  find  the 
following : 

Sec.  2.  And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  executive  power  in 
and  over  said  Territory  of  Utah  shall  be  ^  sted  in  a  governor,  who 
shall  hold  his  office  for  four  years,  and  until  his  successor  shall  be 
appointed  and  qualified,  unless  sooner  removed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  The  governor  shall  reside  within  said  Territory, 
shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  militia  thereof,  &c.,  &c. 

I  am  still  the  Governor,  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs  for 
this  Territory,  no  successor  having  been  appointed  and  qualified, 
as  provided  by  law,  nor  have  I  been  removed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States. 

By  virtue  of  the  authority  thus  vested  in  me,  I  have  issued  and 
forwarded  you  a  copy  of  my  proclamation  forbidding  the  entrance 
of  armed  forces  into  this  Territory.  This  you  have  disregarded. 
I  now  further  direct  that  you  retire  forthwith  from  the  Territory  by 
the  same  route  you  entered.  Should  you  deem  this  impracticable, 
and  prefer  to  remain  until  spring  in  the  vicinity  of  your  present 
encampment,  Black's  Fork  or  Green  river,  you  can  do  so  in  peace, 
and  urgnolested,  on  condition  that  you  deposit  your  arms  and 
ammunition  with  Lewis  Robinson,  Quarter-master  General  of  the 
Territory,  and  leave  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  condition  of  the 
roads  will  permit  you  to  march.  And  should  you  fall  short  of  pro- 
visions, they  can  be  furnished  you  by  making  the  proper  application 
therefor. 

General  D.  H.  "^ells  will  forward  this,  and  receive  any  communi- 
cation you  may  have  to  make. 

Very  respectfully, 

Brigham  Young, 

Governor,  and  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  Utah  Territory, 
To  the  Officer  commanding  the  Forces 

Now  invading  Utah  Territory. 


0^ 


586 


THE    7 OLDEN  STATE. 


I 


I 


The  army  still  marched  toward  the  city  of  the  saints, 
causing-  a  general  "  scare,"  and  a  stampede  of  one-half 
of  the  Mormon  population  toward  the  Colorado  and 
Mexico.  Finally,  "peace  commissioners"  were  ap- 
pointed, the  "war"  ended,  and  the  Mormons  returned 
to  their  city. 

Passing  through  various  phases  or  social  local  dis- 
turbance of  church  and  State,  and  continuously  op- 
posing the  authority  of  the  national  government,  the 
Mormons  have  found  themselves  surrounded  by  an 
increasing  population  from  all  quarters  of  the  republic, 
induced  by  recent  railroad  communication,  curiosity, 
and  the  development  of  rich  silver  aiid  other  mines  in 
;he  Territory.  Until  within  a  recent  period  the  tem- 
poral and  spiritual  power  of  the  American  prophet  and 
his  people  are  fast  running  below  zero ;  and  eventually 
must  be  frozen  out  in  the  pure  atmosphere  that  chills 
concubinage  and  the  incestuous  pollutions  of  marriage 
to  whole  families. 

The  Mormon  leaders,  dreading  the  influx  of  Gentiles, 
and  the  consequent  danger  to  their  long  sway  of  politi- 
cal p'^^wer,  in  1870,  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  female 
suffrage  ;  and,  by  territorial  enactment,  at  a  single  dash, 
added  fijtcen  thoasajid  to  the  Mormon  "  cause."  By 
this  law,  every  woman  in  the  Territory,  over  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  all  under  that  age.  if  married, 
vote  at  all  elections.  No  naturalization  laws  of  the 
nation  are  applied  to  those  women,  ttyee-quarters  of 
whom  are  ignorant,  superstitious  foreigners.  This  is 
the  only  quarter  of  the  republic  enjoying  (.-*)  female 
suffrage ;  and  the  spectacle  of  the  polygamists  on  elec- 
tion day  opening  the  doors  of  their  harems  and  marcii- 
ing  their  wives  to  die  polls  is  a  strange  contradiction 


Ih' 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


537 


and  perversion  of  liberty.  Brigham  caste  seventeen 
votes — his  sixteen  living  wivss  and  his  own,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  control  over  his  ''interesting  family y 

In  1852,  to  check  the  "licentious  cohabitation"  of 
anti-Mormons  and  the  "lewd  men  of  California,"  who 
sorhetimes  found  their  way  to  the  harems  of  the  saints, 
a  law  was  enacted  by  the  territorial  Legislature  of 
Utah,  witii  severe  pains  and  penalties  for  "  lewd  and 
lascivious  cohabitation."  These  statutes  have  now  been 
made  to  recoil  against  those  who  enacted  them,  suits 
having  been  commenced  before  the  United  States  ter- 
ritorial judges  by  oppressed  Mormt)n  women  against 
their  truant  lords,  for  over-indulgence  in  "wives ;"  and 
even  Brigham,  who,  as  Governor  of  the  Territory,  signed 
the  law  to  keep  the  unrighteous  feet  of  the  invading 
Gentile  from  his  domicile,  found  himself  indicted  by  a 
grand  jury  and  held  in  bonds  to  appear  for  trial,  for  the 
crime  of  "lezvd  and  lascivious  cohabitation."  Doubtless 
the  prophet  thought  this  a  new  "  revelation." 

The  Gentiles  (all  tiiose  who  are  not  Mormons)  in  the 
Territory  hold  that  all  marriages  with  Mormons  and 
their  women  are  void,  except  with  their  first  living  wife ; 
while  the  Mormons  hold  that  th^y  are  supported  by 
the  Christians'  Bible  itself  in  polygamy ;  that  marriage 
is  a  sacrament,  the  regulation  of  which  is  solely  with  the 
"church;"  that  they  can  have  as  many  wives  as  they 
please,  when  their  "  religion"  directs  them ;  that  the 
church  alone  can  marry  a7id  divorce :  and  that  all  acts 
of  courts  in  these  matters  are  usurpations,  tyrannical 
and  void. 

Trouble  continued  to  accumulate  with  die  saints  in 
1 870- 1.  The  mystic  circle  of  the  "holy  twelve 
apostles"  had  been  broken  by  the  rude  hand  of  the 


588 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


\ 


United  States  territorial  marshal ;  Brigham  and  apostle 
Daniel  H.  V/ells  had  been  arrested  and  held  in  bonds 
for  trial  for  "  raising  a  family,"  under  indictments  for 
lasciviousness ;  and  the  murderous  Bill  Hickman  came 
forth  from  his  mountain  retreat,  "  unbosomed"  himself 
to  the  federal  territorial  officers,  disclosing  the  partic- 
ipation of  Brigham  Young  and  his  saints  in  the  most 
revolting  crimes  and  murders,  revealing  a  sickening 
record  of  individual  assassinations,  and  ending  with  the 
avowal  that  the  direct  orders  of  Brigham  Young  pre- 
ceded almost  every  murder  of  the  terrible  list  of  slain 
in  Utah ;  and  that  the  Mountain  Meadows  massacre, 
where  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  innocent  immigrants 
— men,  women,  and  children — were  cruelly  butchered 
in  1858,  in  Southern  Utah,  was  by  the  authority  of 
Young  and  his  "  apostles."  On  these  confessions,  and 
other  charges  of  crime  by  numerous  witnesses,  Brig- 
ham Young,  Daniel  H.  Wells,  Orson  Hyde,  Hosea 
Stout,  and  William  Kimball,  all  saints,  were  accused. 
Some  were  arrested,  while  others  fled,  and  Brigham, 
who  had  been  held  in  heavy  bonds  to  appear  in  court 
on  charges  of  murder,  fled  to  Southern  Utah,  but 
finally  returned  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  was 
arrested  early  in  1872,  and  cast  into  prison  to  iwait 
his  trial. 

The  case  of  Young  and  his  associates  was,  on  appeal 
upon  the  irregularity  and  want  of  jurisdiction' of  the 
federal  tcirritorial  court,  carried  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States,  which  held  that  the  manner  of 
drawing  juries  by  the  territorial  courts  from  September 
20,  1870,  to  April,  1872,  was  illegal.  By  this  decision 
on  the  25th  of  April,  1872,  Brigham  Young  and  four 
hundred  other  prisoners,  including  twenty-four  chaiged 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


589 


lit 


rt 
of 
ler 
)n 
lur 
ed 


with  murder,  were  released.  This  event  was  the  signal 
for  new  vows,  and  faith  in  the  Divine  interposition  to 
release  his  saints  and  humiliate  their  persecutors.  At 
the  great  annual  conference  held  at  Salt  Lake  City  at 
this  period  more  than  twelve  thousand  disciples  swelled 
the  chorus  in  the  great  tabernacle,  proclaiming  the  vic- 
tory of  God  and  his  saints,  and  giving  new  inspiration 
to  the  elders  and  bishops,  a  new  batch  of  whom  were 
despatched  "with  glad  tidings"  to  the  people  of  Europe. 
The  social  practices  and  religious  dogmas  of  the 
Mormons  are  almost  as  romantic  singular,  and  ridicu- 
lous as  the  crimes  of  which  they  are  accused  are  atro- 
cious and  appalling.  They  claim  to  be  Christians,  but 
assert  that  all  other  Christian  organizations  have  de- 
parted from  the  "true  doctrine,"  having  scarcely  grace 
enough  to  become  good  Mor.  /is,  while  the  disciples 
of  Joseph  the  prophet  shall  eventually,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  subdue  the  whole  races  of  men,  Icdd  them  to  sal- 
vation, and  eventually  rule  over  them  as  gods  and 
kings  in  the  land  of  their  inheritance  in  the  skies.  The 
Bible  they  hold  as  the  foundation  of  all  their  thith, 
giving  it  a  literal  interpretation;  but  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  translated  from  the  golden  plates  by  their 
prophet,  is  an  infallible  and  indispensable  key  to  ^' 
mysteries  of  revelation  and  the  kingdom  of  hea\cn. 
Souls,  they  say,  existed  from  all  time,  and  in  invisible 
bodies  float  in  vacancy,  are  caught  by  angels,  and 
finally,  from  the  cradled  of  the  harems  of  the  saints, 
are  sent  out  in  tangible  form  as  live  Mormons  to  fulfil 
the  Scriptures  by  multiplication  and  conversion  of  the 
"  heathen,"  which  is  the  highest  mission  of  the  saints 
and  the  especial  business  of  the  Mormon  women;  for 
if,  by  missionary  labors,  a  Mormon  convert  a  dozen 


'I 


590 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


I; 

il 

I  I 

il 


i 


Gentiles,  how  much  "glory  must  su'^-ound  his  head  In 
the  presence  of  his  many  wives  and  his  many  children." 
Surely  here  is  a  "gathering  of  spirits." 

In  the  eternity  they  hold  there  are  many  worlds  and 
many  gods,  and  that  each  world  has  a  head  god,  and  a 
son  next  in  command,  but  that  over  all  is  one  chief, 
who  is  the  father  of  all  the  little  gods ;  and  that  he,  too, 
"is  the  father  of  Jesus  ClTrist  in  the  only  way  known  in 
nature,  just  as  John  Smith,  senior,  is  the  father  of  John 
Smith,  junior." 

The  theory  of  creation  and  of  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
as  well  as  Darwin's  "  Descent  of  Man,"  giving  the 
origin  of  our  ancestors  in  oysters,  slugs,  and  apes,  are 
all  rejected  by  the  saints,  who  claim  that  "  when  the 
earth  was  prepared,  there  came  from  an  upper  world  a 
son  of  God,  with  his  beloved  spouse,  and  thus  a  colony 
from  heaven,  it  may  be  from  the  sun,  was  transplanted 
on  our  soil."  This  theory  is  synonymous  with  the  view 
recently  promulgated  by  the  learned  professor  in  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  who  declares  that  there  are  no  germs 
of  human  creative  life  on  our  globe,  and  that,  after 
"  careful  study  of  the  subject  of  creation  and  the  race," 
he  concludes  that  our  ancestors  came  from  some  of  the 
globes  above  us,  and  made  their  terrestrial  descent  upon 
an  areolite.  It  is  not  mentioned  whether  other  emi- 
grants are  to  follow,  or  whether  the  sudden  contact  of 
the  metal  aerrl  horse  wit'i  the  earth  gave  the  riders  a 
vivid  and  unpleasant  realizatioilJfof  term  firma.  Doubt- 
less the  Mormon  theory  is  as  correct  as  any  other  ver- 
sion of  this  subject,  and  any  of  the  others  are  as  correct 
as  that  of  the  Mormon  view. 

Mormons  and  the  few  others  who  may  reach  heaven 
are  to  appear  "in  the  flesh,"  and,  surrounded  by  their 


z 
J 

/ 
c 
s 

i 

t 

V 

a 
n 
li 
b 
a 


si 

SI 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS.  J^I 

wives  and  children,  sing  perpetually  to  their  prophet. 
•Baptism  by  immersion  is  a  sacrament.  Brigham  him- 
self has  been  twice  in  the  "  plunge,"  and  the  sins  of  all 
converts  are  floated  on  the  "  waters  of  regeneration  ;" 
and  upon  the  appearance  of  an  influx  of  Gentile  immi- 
grants, lascivious  men  from  California,  or  grasshoppers, 
all  saints  that  are  considered  "  shaky  "  get  a  dip. 

The  composition  and  order  of  the  "godhead"  are 
Eloheim,  Jehovah,  Adam,  Christ,  and  Joseph  Smith. 
From  this  "head  centre"  issue  the  inspirational  light 
that  led  the  saints  from  New  York  to  Nauvoo,  and 
thence  to  the  "  promised  land"  in  the  vicinity  of  Great 
Salt  lake. 

A  plentiful  supply  of  prophecy,  power  nf  the  Holy 
Ghost,  inspiration,  gospels,  signs,  wonders,  mystic  pozuers, 
visions,  faith,  atonement,  regeneration,  spirits,  angels, 
saints,  revelations,  testimony,  nealing  by  laying  on  of 
hands,  anointments,  holy  oils,  patriarchs,  remissions,  bish 
ops,  teachers,  evangelists,  purgations,  ascensions,  descen- 
sions,  dreams,  callings,  priesthoods,  sacraments,  orders, 
progressio7ts,  gifts  of  to7igues,  consecrations,  and  miracles 
are  woven  through  the  doctrines  of  the  Mormon  faith 
to  render  it  palatable  to  the  most  visionary  of  mortals, 
while  the  practical  workings  of  polygamy  have  strong 
attractions  for  the  more  materialistic.  Christ,  the  Mor- 
mons say,  was  but  a  man  as  others,  having  in  his  brief 
lifetime  set  his  followers  the  injunction  of  midtiplication 
by  having  five  wives  himself,  among  whom  were  Mary 
and  Martha. 

Polygamy  at  first  was  not  a  part  of  the  Mormon 
faith.  Joseph  did  not  find  any  revelation  of  its  neces- 
sity on  the  golden  plates,  and  in  th.^  Book  of  Mormon 
such  a  practice  is  fiercely  denounced.     In  the  second 


592 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


chapter  of  the  work    is   found  a  warning   to    the 
Nephites:  • 

"  But  the  word  of  God  burdens  me  because  of  your  grosser  crimes. 
For  this  people  begin  to  wax  in  iniquity ;  they  understand  not  the 
Scriptures,  for  they  seek  to  excuse  themselves  in  committing  whore- 
doms because  of  the  things  that  were  written  concerning  David  and 
Solomon,  his  son.  They,  truly,  had  many  wives  and  concubines, 
which  thing  was  abominable  before  me,  saith  the  Lor^.  Wherefore, 
hearken  unto  the  word  of  the  Lord,  for  there  shall  not  any  man 
among  you  have  save  it  be  one  wife,  and  concubines  he  shall  have, 
none;  for  I,  the  Lord  God,  delighteth  in  the  chastity  of  woman." 

With  the  Mormons,  as  with  other  mortals,  even  pro- 
phecies and  revelations  are  controlled  or  altered  by 
circumstances;  so,  while  at  Nauvoo,  the  increase  of 
beautiful  young  women  so  Inspired  Joseph,  Brighamv 
and  other  saints,  that  a  new  revelation  was  deemed 
necessary.  The  prophet  sought  it  and  it  came,  fully 
denying  the  injunction  in  the  Book  of  Mormon^  and 
going  back  to  the  harems  of  "  the  servants  of  the  Lord" 
for  a  justification  of  concubinage  and  incest.  Joseph 
received  the  «^z£/  revelation  at  Nauvoo,  on  the  12  th  of 
July,  1 843 ;  and  in  the  Deseret  News  extra,y  of  the  1 4th 
of  September,  1852,  at  Salt  Lake  City,  it  was  first  pub- 
licly proclaimed  to  the  "  people ;"  the  bishops  and 
elders  having  first  selected  the  fairest  of  their  flocks 
for  their  own  use. 

The  "  revelation"  in  part  reads : 

"Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you^  my  servant  Joseph,  that 
inasmuch  as  you  have  inquired  at  my  hands  to  know  wherein  I,  the 
Lord,  justified  my  servants,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  as  also 
Moses,  David,  and  Solomon,  my  servants,  as  touching  the  principle 
and  doctrine  of  their  having  many  wives  and  concubines ;  beliold 
and  lo,  I  am  the  Lord,  and  will  answer  thee  as  touching  this 
matter." 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


593 


that 
the 
also 
:.iple 
liold 
this 


*'And  again,  as  pertaining  to  the  law  of  the  priesthood,  if  any 
man  espouse  a  virgin  and  desires  to  espouse  another,  and  the  first 
give  her  consent,  and  if  he  espouse  the  second  and  they  are  virgins 
and  have  vowed  to  no  other  man,  then  is  he  justified ;  he  cannot 
commit  adultery,  for  they  are  given  unto  him ;  for  he  cannot  com- 
mit adultery  with  that  that  belongeth  unto  him  and  to  none  else : 
and  if  he  have  ten  virgins  given  unto  him  by  this  law,  he  cannot 
commit  adultery,  for  they  belong  to  him  and  are  given  unto  him  ; 
therefore  is  he  justified.  They  are  given  unto  him  to  multiply  and 
replenish  the  earth  according  to  my  commandment,  and  to  fulfil  the 
promise  which  was  given  by  my  Faiher  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  and  for  their  exaltation  in  the  eternal  worlds,  that  they  may 
bear  the  souls  of  men,  for  herein  is  the  work  of  my  Father  continued 
that  he  may  be  glorified." 

Emma  Smith,  the  wife  of  Joseph,  is  commanded, 
under  dire  penalties  from  the  Lord,  to  receive  kindly 
to  her  bosom  all  the  wives  that  Joseph  may  have  given 
unto  him,  and  the  Mormon  women  generally  are  ad- 
vised of  God's  impending  wrath  if  they  reject  the  wife- 
offerings  he  gives  to  his  saints ;  and  to  fully  provide 
against  emergencies  and  be  ready  for  any  change  that 
may  be  desirable,  the  spirit  tells  the  prophet  of  further 
revelations,  concluding: 

"And  now,  as  pertaining  unto  this  law,  verily,  ri^rily,  I  say  unto 
you,  I  will  reveal  more  unto  you  hereafter ;  therefore,  let  this  suffice 
for  the  present.     Behold,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega.     Ameni" 

In  the  "new  revelation,"  provision  is  made  for 
"  spiritual  wives"  for  the  saints,  so  that  the  "  apostles," 
elders,  and  others  of  the  church  may  j^^/ unto  them- 
selves the  wives  of  others  as  spiritual  vAv^s  for  eternity; 
so  that  in  the  land  where  the  "  streets  are  paved  with 
gold"  and  Mormons  are  gods,  the  wife  is  not  necessa- 
rily obliged  to  associate  with  her  poor  husband  of  earth, 

but  can  select  her  company  while  here,  provided  she 
38 


594 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


avoid  the  "lascivious  men  oi  California"  and  choose  a 
faithful  saint.  Virgins  also  can,  before  marriage,  select 
their  heavenly  mate  by  sealing  on  earth. 

On  the  first  mention  of  the  new  doctrine  of  polygamy, 
in  1 843,  .it  caused  great  commotion,  and  many  rebelled 
against  it  A  few  elders  attempted  to  promulgate  the 
revelation,  but  so  fierce  was  the  opposition  that,  while 
Joseph  and  a  few  of  his  leaders  held  a  monopoly  of  the 
"  new  law,"  he  made  public  proclamation  against  it  in 
the  church  paper,  the  Times  and  Seasons,  published  at 
Nauvoo,  as  follows : 

NOTICE. 

Ap  we  have  lately  been  credibly  informed  that  an  elder  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  by  the  name  of  Hiram 
Brown,  has  been  preaching  polygamy  and  other  false  and  corrupt 
doctrines  in  the  county  of  Lapeer  and  State  of  Michigan, 

This  is  to  notify  him  and  the  church  in  general  that  he  has 
been  cut  off  from  the  church  for  his  iniquity,  and  he  is  further  noti- 
fied to  appear  at  the  special  conference  on  the  6th  of  April  next,  to 
make  answer  to  these  charges. 

Joseph  Smith, 

Hyrum  Smith, 

Presidents  of  the  Church. 


This  proclamation  satisfied  the  "common  people," 
and  suited  particularly  the  European  missionaries,  who 
took  good  care  to  give  it  publicity.  Meantime,  Young 
z  nd  his  elders  had  stocked  their  harems  with  the  choice 
doves  of  their  flocks. 

Mary  Ann  Angell  Young,  the  second  wife  of  Brig- 
ham,  (he  was  a  widower  with  two  children  when  he 
j'oined  the  church,)  who  now  lives  in  separate  quarters 
at  Salt  Lake  City,  soon  found  herself  surrounded  by 
the  increasing  wives  of  her  husband,  and  this  too,  while 


MORMONISM  AND    THE  MORMONS. 


595 


1?- 


by 


polygamy  was  publicly  proclaimed  "  the  work  of  the 
devil."  Lucy  Decker  Seely,  the  divorced  wife  of  Dr. 
Seely,  was  the  second  (or  first  polygamous)  wife,  soon 
followed  by  Harriet  Cook,  who  gave  birth  to  the  first 
offspring  of  polygamy — Oscar  Young.  Clara  Decker, 
Clara  Chase,  Lucy  Bigelow,  Harriet  Bowker,  Harriet 
Barry,  and  the  charming  Emeline  Free,  so  long  the 
favorite  of  the  "  president,"  were  all  soon  added  to  the 
harem  ;  Emeline  in  turn  being  succeeded  among  others 
by  Amelia  Folsom,  Brigham's  present  centre  of  affec- 
tion. 

Brigham  Young,  who  for  the  past  twenty-eight  years 
has  ruled  as  a  king  at  the  head  of  Church  and  State  in 
Utah,  has  practically  fulfilled  the  injunction  to  "  in- 
crease and  multiply."  His  children  are  counted  by 
scores,  and  they  and  his  wives,  spiHtual  and  temporal, 
may  never  be  fully  discovered  until  the  division  of  the 
property  of  the  dead  president  enters  the  courts. 

Marriages  in  Mormondom  are  not  publically  pro- 
claimed;- no  license  is  necessary,  and  all  unions  are 
"  solemnized "  at  the  "  Endowment  House,"  in  tlie 
presence  of  a  few  friends  only. 

Brigham,  who  was  born  on  the  ist  of  June,  1801, 
and  was  consequently  seventy-one  years  of  age  on  the 
I  St  of  June,  1872,  had,  up  to  that  period,  twenty-four 
wiveSy  (sixteen  of  whom  were  living,)  and  fifty-four 
spiritual  wives  sealed  to  him  "  for  eternity." 

Among  tlie  wives  of  Brigham,  as  among  those  of 
many  of  the  saints,  are  instances  of  three  or  four 
sisters  all  married  to  the  same  man,  and  mothers  and 
daughters,  in  pairs  and  triplets,  joining  to  one  husband 
in  the  same  house,  and  a  grandmother,  mother,  and 
child  all  wives  of  one  man. 


^q5  the  golden  state. 

The  late  Heber  C.  Kimball,  who  so  long  stood  next 
in  authority  to  Young,  fulfilled  well  his  earthly  mission, 
leaving  seventeen  widows  to  "mourn  his  loss,"  and 
innumerable  children  to  his  "  inheritance,"  besides 
"  spiritual  wives  for  eternity." 

All  the '"  apostles,"  as  well  as  nearly  all  the  Mormon 
"brethren,"  embrace  polygamy;  and  they  and  their 
children  in  their  footsteps  have  jumbled  the  laws  of 
consanguinity  beyond  the  hope  of  solution. 

The  marrying  of  brothers  and  sisters,  at  least  of  the 
half-blood,  has  been  permitted;  and  innumerable  in- 
stances of  marriages  with  nieces  and  other  close  blood- 
relations  are  constantly  occurring.  Two  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  Brigham  Young  are  married  to  H.  B.  Clawson, 
a  prominent  saint,  and  but  recently  the  aggregate 
wives  of  five  Mormons  numbered  seventy  and  their  off- 
spring one  hundred  and  fifty. 

The  doctrines  of  Mormonism,  as  given  by  "  Joseph 
the  prophet,"  are  as  follows : 

"We  believe  in  God  the  Eternal  Father,  and  in  His  Son,  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"We  believe  that  men  will  be  punished  for  their  own  sins,  and 
not  for  Adam's  transgression. 

"We  believe  that  through  atonement  of  Christ  all  mankind  may 
be  saved  by  obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the  gospel. 

"  We  believe  that  these  ordinaYices  are :  First,  Faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  \  Second,  Repentance ;  Third,  Baptism  by  immersion 
for  the  remission  of  sins ;  Fourth,  Laying  on  of  hands  for  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"We  believe  that  a  man  must  be  called  of  God  by  'prophecy 
and  by  laying  on  of  hands,'  by  those  who  are  in  authority  to  preach 
the  gospel  and  administer  the  ordinances  thereof. 

"We  believe  in  the  same  organization  that  existed  in  the  primi- 
tive church,  viz. :  apostles,  prophets,  pastors,  teachers,  evangelists, 
&c. 


MORMONISM  AND   THE  MORMONS. 


597 


"We  believe  in  the  gift  of  tongues,  prophecy,  revelation,  visions,^ 
healing,  interpretation  of  tongues,  &c. 

"  We  believe  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God  as  far  as  it  is  trans- 
lated correctly.  We  also  believe  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  be  the 
word  of  God. 

"We  believe  all  God  has  revealed,  all  that  He  does  now  reveal, 
and  we  believe  that  He  v/ill  yet  reveal  many  great  and  important 
things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God. 

"We  believe  in  the  literal  gathering  of  Israel,  and  in  the  restora- 
tion of  the  ten  tribes  j  that  Zion  will  be  built  upon  this  continent ; 
that  Christ  will  reign  personally  on  the  earth,  and  that  the  earth 
will  be  renewed  in  its  paradisiac  glory. 

"We  claim  the  privilege  of  worshipping  Almighty  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  our  own  conscience,  and  allow  all  men  the  same 
privilege,  let  them  worship  how,  where,  or  what  they  may. 

"  We  believe  in  being  subject  to  kings,  presidents,  rulers,  magis- 
trates ;  in  obeying,  honoring,  and  sustaining  law. 

"  We  believe  in  being  honest,  true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtuous, 
and  in  doing  good  to  all  men.  Indeed,  we  may  say  that  we  follow 
the  admonition  of  Paul :  'we  believe  all  things;  we  hope  all  things;' 
we  have  endured  many  things  and  hope  to  be  able  to  endure  all 
things.  If  there  is  any  thing  virtuous,  lovely,  or  of  good  report,,  or 
praiseworthy,  we  seek  after  these  things." 


:h 

i- 

s, 


How  closely  the  practices  of  the  "  Latter-day  Saints'* 
comport  with  the  "inspired  doctrines"  may  well  be 
known  by  the  dark  catalogue  of  crime  on  the  court 
records  of  Utah  against  the  "head  of  the  church,"  his 
apostles  and  followers,  and  the  misery  and  social  dis- 
order of  the  harems. 

In  American  polygamy,  as  in  the  East,  women  are 
generally  regarded  little  better  than  slaves ;  herded  as 
they  are,  in  Young's  and  Kimball's  and  other  establish- 
ments, by  scores,  giving  birth  to  children  whose  fathers 
are  claimed  as  husband  in  such  infinitesimal  parts  that 
love  and  the  kindred  accompaniments  of  the  household 
are  mythical  illusions,  leaving  the  hearth  of  home  a 


598 


THE    GOLDEN  STATE. 


, barren  waste,  and  the  heart  of  woman  an  empty  sepul- 
chre, where  the  light  of  love  never  casts  a  ray  to  dispel 
the  eternal  eclipse,  in  whose  unholy  shadow  the  canker- 
worm  of  jealousy  and  the  pangs  of  despair  gnaw  their 
victims  to  the  grave. 

If  the  sullen,  dreamy  apathv  of  the  Mormon  women, 
looking  with  wild  distrust  upon  husbands  claimed  by 
others,  and  wincing  under  unprovoked  neglect,  or 
the  display  of  hypocritical  affection  to  associates  by 
their  lord ;  the  unwelcome  proclamation  of  the  birth  of 
the  child  of  their  associate  in  fractional  wedlock  ;  and 
the  pangs  and  gloom  to  which  their  imprisoned  and 
impoverished  love  is  bound  as  it  struggles  through  the 
night  of  absolute  despair — if  these  things  be  "joy  and 
gladness,"  and  "woman's  highest  mission,"  by  what 
name  shall  we  call  the  ordered  laws  that  centres  one 
woman's  love  to  the  heart  of  one  affectionate  and  con- 
fiding husband,  where  the  mutual  love  and  parental 
joys  are  lighted  anew  in  the  innocent  faces  proclaiming 
the  unity  of  souls  in  the  "twain  flesh  made  one?" 

Society,  as  it  is  known  in  other  parts  of  America,  is 
entirely  unknown  in  Utah.  There  is  but  little  inter- 
course between  Mormon  families.  Even  in  the  city  of 
Salt  Lake,  where  an  elegant  theatre  is  maintained,  it 
is  patronized  chiefly  by  Gentiles  and  apostate  Mormons. 
Visiting  among  women  and  evening  entertainments  are 
rare,  and  Gentile  men  are  excluded  from  all  intercourse 
with  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  saints. 

On  the  Sabbath  the  harems  let  loose  their  flocks, 
who  file  in  solemn  procession  to  the  tabernacle,  to 
listen  to  the  prophecies  of  Joseph,  and  the  laws  of 
•'  increase,"  as  expounded  by  the  "  elders  of  the  Lortl." 

In  Salt  Lake  City,  a  few  leading  Mormons  who  have 


MORMOmSM  AND   THE  MORMONS, 


599 


IS 

ter- 


means  maintain  spaciou:;  establishments,  where  their 
wives  and  families  live  in  comparative  comfort.  But  as 
the  great  body  of  the  people  are  poor,  a  man  often  finds 
it  burdensome  to  support  five,  eight,  or  ten  wives,  so 
the  women  soon  find  that  they  have  to  rely  upon  their 
own  industry  for  their  bread.  Dress,  fashion,  and  the 
filigrees  of  modern  city  women  are  unknown  among 
Mormon  wives.  Plain  dressing,  plain  food,  hard  work, 
obedience,  baptism,  and  child-bearing  arc  the  pleasures 
and  duties  of  Mormon  women. 

Of  late  years,  the  influx  of  Gentiles,  railroad  inter- 
course and  enterprise  in  the  Territory  have  somewhat 
changed  the  position  of  the  young  Mormon  females, 
many  of  whom  decline  to  enter  the  harems,  and  leave 
the  country,  seeking  homes  and  protection  in  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon,  and  Nevada,  and  other  sections,  much 
to  the  displeasure  of  the  bishops  and  elders. 

The  solution  of  the  '•  Mormon  question  "  still  dis- 
tracts the  country.  Utah  as  a  State,  with  an  anti-Mor- 
mon majority,  could  soon  exterminate  polygamy.  As 
a  Territory,  with  Mormqn  juries,  no  punishment  can 
be  imposed  on  Mormon  offenders.  A  few  years,  how- 
ever, at  most,  will  give  Utah  an  anti-Mormon  majority, 
when  Mormonism,  now  embraced  by  about  eighty 
thousand  in  Europe  and  America,  will  be  weeded  out 
of  Utah,  and  eventually  be  known  only  as  a  thing 
of  the  past. 


of 
)rd. 
lave 


6oo 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


ARIZONA  TERRITORY. 

Area  and  population — Climate — Soil — Mountains — Rivers — Forests 
— Mines  —  Mining — Minerals — Settlement — Civilization  —  Rail- 
roads— Indians. 

The  Territory  of  Arizona  is  situated  in  the  semi- 
tropical  region  lying  directly  east  of  California  and 
west  of  Mexico,  and  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
Republic  of  Mexico,  east  by  New  Mexico,  north  by 
Utah,  and  west  by  the  Colorado  river,  which  forms  the 
boundary  between  the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of 
California  and  the  northwestern  part  of  Arizona. 

This  Territory,  which  embraces  an  area  of  126,140 
square  miles,  was  acquired  from  the  Republic  of 
Mexico  by  the  conquest  of  California,  and  the  "  Gads- 
den Purchase ;"  and  by  act  of  Congress  of  the  24th 
of  February,  1863,  was  organized  with  31  territorial 
government,  with  the  capital  at  Tucson. 

In  1870,  the  population  of  this  Territory,  exclusive 
of  Indians,  was  but  9,658  ;  of  whom  but  3,849  were 
native  born,  and  5,809  were  foreigners.  Tiie  pre- 
ponderance of  foreigners  is  owing  to  the  fact  of  the 
large  numbers  of  Mexicans  in  the  country.  There 
were  at  this  period  but  twent)'^-six  colored  people  and 
twenty  Chinese  in  this  Territory. 

The  climate  of  Arizona  is  exceedingly  dry  in  its 
western  division,  and  in  the  section  adjoining  the  River 
Colorado;  and  in  many  portions  of  the  interior  the 
heat  of  summer  is  intense,  it  often  reaching  one  hun- 


V    /I 

n  a 


/;ir 


ARIZONA    TERRITORY, 


6oi 


dred  and  twenty  degrees  In  the  shade,  at  which  it  will 
continue  for  many  days  in  succession.  Winter  in  these 
quarters  is  almost  unknown,  and,  except  upon  the  high 
mountains,  snow  never  falls ;  but  in  the  northern  and 
eastern  portion  of  the  Territoiy  the  mountains  are 
clad  with  snow  perpetually ;  throughout  the  valleys 
and  low  hills  snow  and  frost  are  unknown,  and  the 
climate  of  the  Territory  may  be  called  perpetual  sum- 
mer. The  rainfall  in  the  western  part  of  Arizona  does 
not  exceed  four  inches  per  annum  ;  but,  throughout 
the  central  and  eastern  division,  sufficient  rain  falls 
for  agricultural  purposes. 

The  physical  character  cf  the  country  is  rugged  in 
the  extreme,  and  large  areas  of  mountain  and  alkaline 
deserts  are  unfit  for  cultivation.  In  many  portions 
large  grazing- ranges  exist,  and  there  are  innumerable 
rich  and  fertile  valleys,  well  adapted  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  where  many  of  the  tropical  and  all  the 
semi-tropical  fruits  grow  abundantly. 

Owing  to  the  sparse  population  and  the  continuous 
excitement  in  the  Territory  about  mines,  but  little  has 
been  done  in  developing  the  agricultural  resources  of 
the  country;  but  the  richness  of  the  soil,  the  wid.^  and 
excellent  pasture-ranges,  and  the  mildness  of  the  cli- 
mate, all  tend  to  make  this  Territory  a  very  desirable 
field  for  the  immigrant  and  the  employment  of  labor 
and  capital. 

Many  portions  of  the  country  are  but  poorly  watered; 
but  vast  areas  are  supplied  with  abundance  of  water 
from  the  innumerable  branches  of  the  Colorado  and 
Gila,  the  two  principal  rivers  in  the  Territory.  The 
Gila,  flowing  from  east  to  west  in  a  vast  body,  empties 


602 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


into  the  Colorado  near  a  point  where  the  boundary  of 
California,  Arizona,  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico  jojn  on 
the  Colorado.  From  this  point,  both  the  Gila  and  Colo- 
rado rivers  flow  in  one  mighty  current  to  the  Gulf  of 
California,  and  through  these  waters  reach  the  Pacific 
ocean. 

The  Colorado  river,  having  its  source  in  the  Rocky 
mountains,  courses  southwestward  through  Wyoming, 
Utah,  and  the  northwest  corner  of  Arizona,  forming  the 
western  boundary  of  the  latter  Territory.  This  vast 
river  (often  interrupted  in  its  course  of  more  than  one 
thousand  miles  from  its  source  to  the  sea)  is  navigable 
for  steamers  of  large  size  for  a  considerable  distance 
from  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  upon  its  upper  waters 
to  steamers  of  light  draught. 

Forests  of  considerable  extent  exist  in  many  parts  of 
the  country,  and  the  scenery  is  generally  picturesque, 
many  of  the  hill-sides  being  covered  with  a  dense 
growth  of  small  trees ;  so  that,  amidst  forests,  dashing 
cascades,  bald  mountains,  and  snow-clad  peaks,  many 
sections  of  Arizona  present  unsurpassed  scenes  of 
natural  beauty. 

As  yet  the  great  resources  of  this  Territory  are  un- 
developed. The  hardy  miner  has,  however,  established 
the  fact  that  mines  of  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  and 
iron  of  great  extent  and  richness  abound  throughout 
the  whole  country.  Not  only  are  these  metals  found 
in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  but  mountains  of  lead, 
copper,  iron,  sulphur,  and  salt  rear  their  heads,  con- 
fronting the  explorer  on  every  side,  and  impressing  him 
with  the  vast  wealth  of  this  almost  unexplored  region, 
destined  to  become  at  some  future  period  the  centre  of 


ARIZONA    TERRITORY. 


603 


of 

un- 
ihed 
and 

lOUt 

lund 
lead, 
con- 
him 
gion, 
re  of 


civilized  society,  and  a  prosperous  State  in  the  Ameri- 
can Union. 

The  annual  product  of  the  precious  metals  in  Ari- 
zona, even  with  its  scant  population  and  great  disad- 
vantages, is  about  5551,500,000;  but,  by  the  application 
of  machinery  and  well-directed  efforts  to  develop  her 
mineral  resources,  there  is  no  reason  why  Arizona 
should  not  yet  equal  in  her  mineral  productions  the 
greatest  yield  of  California  in  her  best  days. 

Trade  with  Arizona  has  been  carried  on  chiefly  with 
California.  Nearly  all  the  supplies — provisions,  mer- 
chandise, and  machinery — used  in  the  Territory  go  from 
San  Francisco  either  to  San  Diego,  thence  across  the 
country  by  teams  to  the  Colorado,  or  by  steamers  and 
sailing  vessels  up  the  Gulf  of  California  and  the  waters 
of  the  Colorado,  thence  to  the  interior.  A  line  of  rail- 
road, (the  Southern  Pacific,)  projected  from  San  Diego, 
California,  intended  to  run  in  an  easterly  and  westerly 
direction,  crossing  the  Colorado,  and  passing  through 
the  extreme  southern  part  of  Arizona,  New  Mexico, 
Texas,  and  Arkansas,  crosses  the  Mississippi  at  Mem- 
phis, making  connection  with  the  whole  Atlantic  coast, 
and  tlience  to  ihe  Atlantic  seaboard;  and  another  road 
— the  Adantic  and  Pacific,  or  35th  parallel  railroad — 
projected  farther  north  in  California,  and  intended  to 
pass  directly  through  the  centre  of  Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  Indian  Territory,  and  Missouri,  crossing  the 
Missouri  at  St.  Louis,  and  passing  on  in  an  easterly 
direction  to  the  Atlantic  States,  will,  when  completed, 
so  develop  the  great  natural  wealth  of  this  almost  un- 
known region  that  it  must  attract  a  large  share  t)f  the 
immigration  of  the  country,  and  become  the  centre  of 


6o4* 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


great  mining  activity.  Both  roads  are  now  being  vig- 
oiously  pushed,  and  but  a  few  years  will  elapse  before 
two  southern  through  railroads  from  ocean  to  ocean 
will  bring  this  beautiful  region  of  country  a  prospe;'ous 
State  in  the  Union. 

The  Territory,  with  all  its  drawbacks,  is  struggling  for 
the  development  of  its  resources  and  the  establishment 
of  civilization.  Tucson,  the  capital,  Tubac,  Arizona 
City,  La  Paz,  and  Prescott,  the  principal  towns,  show 
signs  of  enterprise  and  refinement.  Schools,  churches, 
and  the.  printing-press  assert  their  dominion,  and  soon 
will  the  murderous  scenes  of  the  forest  savage  give 
way  to  the  pursuits  of  industry  and  the  laws  of  civiliza- 
tion. Already  there  are  three  newspapers  published 
in  Arizona — one  at  Tucson,  one  at  Prescott,  and  one  at 
Arizona  City. 

Arizona  is  the  paradise  of  the  red  man.  Here  for 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  years  (for  aught  we  know) 
he  has  angled  in  its  streams,  hunted  in  its  glens,  roamed 
over  its  valleys,  lurked  in  its  forests  and  deep  canons, 
listened  to  the  wild  roar  and  watched  the  maddened 
leap  of  its  cataracts;  here  he  listened  to  the  traditions 
of  his  fathers,  and  buried  the  bones  of  his  ancestors ; 
and  here,  with  a  pertinacity  worthy  of  a  better  cause, 
he  holds  on  to  the  hunting-grounds  of  his  fathers;  here 
the  Mojave^  Yavapai,  Pima,  Yuma,  and  the  murderous 
Apache  whet  their  knives  and  raise  the  bloody  toma- 
hawk for  the  scalp  of  the  "pale  face,"  and  exhibit  such 
fierce  resolution  and  brutality  to  hold  on  to  the  expiring 
embers  of  primitive  barbarous  life  and  the  last  hunting- 
grourfds  and  the  last  natural  rights  of  a  once  numerous 
and  powerful  but  fast-expiring  race,  whose  history,  from 


INTERVIEW    WITH    A    C.RIZZLY. 


APACHE  SQUAW  SCALP   DANCE,  ARIZONA. 


SHOOTING    MOINTAIN   SHEEI'   IN    THK    Rrx  KY    Mdl'XTAINS. 


iVo/Uj   *^-~ 


INDIAN'S   CAMIILINC. 


ARIZONA   TERRITORY. 


605 


the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims  to  the  present  hour,  has 
filled  our  records  with  chapters  of  blood  and  scenes  of 
most  revolting  barbarity,  making  the  extinction  of  the 
aborigines  a  desired  consummation. 

The  Apache  tribe  of  Indians  in  Arizona  are  the 
most  warlike  and  fierce  enemy  of  the  white  man  of  all 
the  races  on  the  continent.  Their  '*  braves"  are  power- 
fully built,  active,  muscular,  daring,  and  savage  as  a 
gorilla.  All  efforts  yet  made  to  reconcile  these  savages 
to  fellowship  with  their  white  brethren  have  been  in 
vain.  They  are  still  numerous  and  powerful,  defying 
the  feeble  efforts  of  humanitarian  and  soldier  alike. 
The  mild  climate,  abundance  of  game,  and  the  lleet 
ponies  upon  which  they  are  mounted,  the  deep  forfcc^'5, 
dark  ravines,  and  gulches,  whose  winding  ways  are 
known  only  to  the  Apaches,  enable  them  from  their 
places  of  security  to  pounce  like  wild  beasts  upon  immi- 
grant, miner,  or  soldier  alike. 

So  detennined  are  these  savages  to  drive  the  whites 
out  of  their  country,  and  in  such  dread  do  the  people 
hold  the  poison-arrow,  scalping-knife,  and  tomahawk 
of  these  '*  red  devils,"  that  mines  of  fabulous  richness, 
rich  farming  and  grazing  lands  alike,  are  all  abandoned ; 
and,  despite  of  a  few  feeble  military  posts  in  the  Terri- 
tory, the  Apache  still  holds  sway,  and  the  power  of  life 
and  death  even  of  the  military  forces.  But  alas !  for 
the  red  man,  his  days  in  our  land  are  numbered,  and 
the  sands  of  his  time  fast  leave  an  empty  glass  in  which 
his  shadow  is  but  dimly  reflected.  Railroads  and  "  civil- 
ization" have,  from  Maine  to  Oregon,  sealed  his  fate; 
his  canoe  lies  stranded  upon  the  shores  of  the  great 
lakes;  his  bow  and  arrows  hang  upon  the  forest  trees; 


6o6 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


his  tomahawk  rests  upon  the  ground;  .his  hunting- 
grounds  wave  in  rusding  corn;  his  war-whoop  dies 
upon  the  passing  breeze,  to  be  answered  by  the  shrill 
whisde  of  the  iron  courser,  whose  fiery  breath  proclaims 
the  departure  of  a  past  race  to  its  eternal  hunting- 
grounds. 

"  Lo !  the  poor  Indian !"  he  has  left  no  written  lan- 
guage, no  laws,  customs,  arts,  nor  architecture  to  per- 
petuate his  memory ;  his  stone-axe,  poison-arrow,  and 
bloody  record  proclaim  fo*-  a  brief  period  his  fierce 
career;  while  his  euphonious  names,  like  jewels  of 
antiquity,  cling  to  our  lakes,  rivers,  and  mountains,  to 
recall  to  the  future  historian  the  existence  of  a  race 
whose  origin  is  a  mystery,  whose  career  and  extinction 
are  not  unalloyed  with  romance  and  incomprehensible 
fatality. 


I/) 
'A 

> 

w 


ft 


! « 


IDAHO    TERRITORY. 


607 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

IDAHO   TliiRITORY. 

Area — Geography — Mountains —  Rivers —  Forests — I-nkos — Scenery 
—  Waterfalls — Valleys —  Agriculture —  Climate  — Indians —  Gold 
and  silver  mines — Material  progress — Railroads — Cities  and  town 
— Population. 

The  Territory  of  Idaho  embraces  an  area  of  90,932 
square  miles.  It  was  formerly  embraced  within  the 
Territory  of  Oregon,  and  more  recendy  within  the  area 
of  Washington  Territory;  and  was,  in  1863,  with  its 
present  limits,  organized  with  a  territorial  government 
by  act  of  Congress.  The  Territory  in  length,  from  tlie 
northern  line  of  the  State  of  Nevada  to  British  Colum- 
bia in  the  north,  running  the  whole  length  of  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territories,  is  about  five  hundred 
miles.  At  its  northern  end  it  is  narrowed  to  about 
fifty  miles,  lying  between  the  western  slope  of  the  Rocky 
mountains  and  Washington  Territory  on  the  west. 
From  this  point,  extending  south  until  it  reaches  its 
southern  boundary,  it  gradually  widens,  until  it  finally 
attains  a  width  of  three  hundred  miles. 

Idaho  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington Territory,  north  by  British  Columbia,  east  by  the 
Rocky  mountains  and  Wyoming  Territory,  south  by 
Nevada  and  Utah;  the  crest  of  the  Rocky  mountains 
forming  the  entire  eastern  line,  leaving  the  whole  of 
this  Territory  west  of  that  range  of  mountains. 

The  surface  of  Idaho  is  a  succession  of  loft)'  moun- 
tain chains,  rugged  hills,  alkaline  and  volcanic  flats, 
rolling  pasture-ranges,  and  numerous  fertile  valleys. 
The  Territory  is  well  supplied  with  water  by  several 


6o8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


rivers  of  magnitude,  and  innumerable  dashing  streams, 
fed  by  the  eternal  snow  of  the  mountains.  The  chief 
river  in  Idaho  is  the  Snake,  sometimes  known  as  Lewis 
river;  having  its  source  in  the  western  slope  of  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  coursing  in  a  westerly  direction 
across  the  entire  width  of  the  southern  part  of  the  Ter- 
ritory, a  distance  of  more  than  three  hundred  miles, 
until  It  reaches  the  eastern  boundary  of  Oregon,  where 
it  turns  directly  north,  and  for  a  distance  of  two  hun- 
dred miles  forms  the  line  between  Oregon  and  Idaho. 
A  few  miles  north  of  this  point,  at  the  city  of  Lewiston, 
where  the  Territories  of  Washington  and  Idaho  are 
divided  by  this  stream,  it  turns  directly  west,  and  for 
one  hundred  additional  miles  keeps  this  course,  until 
near  Wallula,  in  Washington  Territory,  it  empties  into 
the  main  Columbia,  and  is  carried  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 
The  Snake  river,  in  its  circuitous  passage  from  the 
Rocky  mountains  to  Lewiston,  runs  through  a  great 
variety  of  country — sandy  desert,  elevated  table-land, 
rich  valleys,  deep  cafions  and  gorges;  and  often  cutting 
through  and  leaping  over  high  mountains,  creating  in 
its  passage  impassable  and  lovely  cascades  and  falls  of 
great  maj^iiitude  and  beauty.  The  Shoshone  falls,  in 
the  southern  portion  of  the  Territory,  but  thirty-five 
miles  n<jrth  of  the  point  where  Utah  and  Nevada  join 
upon  the  southern  line  of  Idaho,  and  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  the  western  line  of  Wyoming  Territory, 
is  surpassed  only  in  magnitude  by  Niagara  and  the 
YoBeinitc.  1  he  (ireat  Shoshone  lias  an  uninterrupted 
descent  of  two  hundred  f(  et,  pouring  its  mighty  flood 
below,  presenting  a  scene  of  u/jBiirpassed  beauty,  and 
cuts  off  tlie  furtlier  passage  ii\\\\i  ^ialfuo//,  whji  1/  abound 
in  all  die  waters  from  this  [m\ii  to  X\sn  I'ucihc  otjan. 


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IDAHO    TERR f TORY. 


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From  the  Cohimbia  to  Lewiston,  one  hundred  miles, 
the  Snake  river  is  navigated  by  steamers ;  but  beyond 
this  point,  owing  to  the  numerous  falls  and  rapids, 
there  is  no  navigation.  Innumerable  branches  of  the 
Snake-  river  intersect  the  whole  country  upon  bodi 
sides  of  the  main  stream. 

In  the  extreme  northern  corner  of  Idaho  is  Clarke's 
Fork,  a  branch  of  the  Columbia  river,  of  great  magni- 
tude, in  its  course  passing  through  Lake  Pen  d'Orellie, 
twenty-two  miles  in  length  and  six  miles  in  width. 
Fortv  miles  south  of  this  lake,  and  near  the  line  of 
Washington  Territory,  the  Spokan  river,  a  branch  of 
the  Columbia,  enters  and  passes  through  Lake  Cocur 
d' Aline,  twenty-five  miles  in  length  and  five  miles  in 
width.  There  are  several  lakes  of  less  magnitude 
than  the  two  here  named  in  the  Territory,  and  many 
streams  of  great  volume  and  bearity. 

Forests  of  considerable  magnitude,  in  which  a  great 
variety  of  valuable  timber  grows,  arc  found  ;  and  there 
are  large  areas  of  grazing  and  a^rricultural  lands. 
Boise,  Wieser,  Payette,  Camas,  and  other  valleys,  con- 
tain hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  superior  land ; 
and  Bear  Lake  valley,  in  the  extreme  southeast  corner 
of  the  Territory  and  close  to  the  line  of  Utah  Terri- 
tory, and  in  which  there  is  a  Mormon  settlement  of  five 
tliousand  people  in  a  prosperous  condition,  is  one  of  the 
richest  agricultural  districts  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The 
climate  is  mild,  and  the  soil  rich  beyond  comparison. 
In  this  fertile  valley  are  situated  Bear  lake,  and  th>'  Hear 
river,  a  stream  of  considerable  size,  roursing  through 
Bear  valley  in  a  circle,  and  finally  emptying  into  Great 
Salt  lake  in  Utah. 

Monument,  a  station  on  the  Central  Pacific  overland 

J9 


6io 


THE   C OLDEN  STATE. 


ill!' 


railroad,  at  the  northern  end  of  Great  Salt  lake,  is  but 
twenty  miles  from  the  southern  line  of  Idaho,  near 
Bear  valley,  and  from  this  and  other  points  of  this 
road  travellers  entering  the  southern  portion  of  the 
Territory  will  find  ine  easiest  and  shortest  route.  To 
reach  the  northern  portion  of  the  Territory  from  the 
Pacific  side,  passage  can  be  made  by  the  waters  of  the 
Columbia  and  Snake  rivers,  or  by  a  journey  o\'erland 
through  Oregon. 

The  climate  of  Idaho  in  the  northern  section  in 
winter  is  cold,  and  snow  of  great  depth  falls,  and  frost 
is  severe  in  the  mountains ;  but  the  cold  of  winter  is 
much  less  than  the  cold  in  the  same  latitude  east  of  the 
Rocky  mountains.  There  are  wide  pasture-ranges  in  the 
Territory,  and  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep  in  great  num- 
bers are  driven  toward  the  south,  where  they  graze  all 
winter  upon  the  bunch  grass  and  rich  foliage  of  South- 
ern Idaho;  indeed,  even  in  the  northern  part,  cattle 
are  rarely  housed  in  winter.  Summer  in  Idaho  is  de- 
lightful. The  extreme  heat  of  the  Atlantic  States  is 
not  experienced,  and  the  evenings  are  cool  and  the 
general  temperature  bracing  and  charming.  In  the  for- 
ests wild  game  is  abundant,  and  the  principal  streams 
abound  with  salmon,  trout,  and  other  fish. 

The  red  men,  although  still  found  in  the  country  in 
considerable  numbers,  are  neither  numerous  nor  war- 
like, and,  as  in  most  parts  of  the  West,  having  spent  their 
fury,  are  slowly  passing  away  to  the  shades  of  oblivion. 

So  far,  mining  is  the  chief  business  of  the  Territory, 
and,  like  the  whole  range  w^est  of  the  Rocky  mountains, 
gold,  silver,  and  other  minerals  are  found  in  most  of 
the  mountain  ran,,^es,  and  many  mine:;  are  worked  with 
vigor  and  with  great  profit.     The  annual  yield  of  gold 


COUNCII,    WITH  IRIKNULY    NKZ    PKRCKS    '.NDlANb,    llJAHU 


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IDAHO    TERRITORY. 


6ii 


and  silver  in  /daho  is  about  $8,000,000 — one-third  as 
much  as  the  annual  yield  of  California  at  the  present 
period.  Many  other  metals  besides  gold  and  silver 
have  been  discovered,  but,  as  yet,  have  been  but  little 
developed.  Gold  was  first  discovered  in  Idaho  in  1S52, 
about  the  banks  of  the  Pen  d'Orellie  river,  but  attracted 
little  attention.  The  discovery  of  the  Oro  I^ino  mines, 
in  i860,  awakened  great  interest,  and  drew  a  large 
number  of  gold-hunters  from  California  and  Oregon  to- 
ward the  then  almost  unexplored  region  of  Idaho.  Since 
that  time  forward,  settlement  has  gone  steadily  on,  and 
a  degree  of  prosperity  highly  creditable  to  the  pioneers 
and  sparse  population  of  this  heretofore  remote  and 
inaccessible  region  has  been  attained.  Idaho,  undeir 
the  stimulus  of  the  industry  of  her  people,  her  great 
natural  resources,  as  well  in  agriculture,  grazing,  and 
lumber  as  in  mines  of  gold  and  silver,  is  fast  attaining 
importance.  Each  year  the  capacity  of  the  soil  for 
producing  wheat,  oats,  barley,  vegetables,  and  fruit  of 
almost  every  variety  is  becoming  understood  ;  and 
blooming  orchards,  waving  fields  of  wheat — tjjp  latt(-r 
producing  from  three  to  five  times  as  many  buslu:ls  to 
the  acre  as  does  Illinois,  Virginia,  or  Tennessee — and 
wide  and  luxuriant  pasture- ranges  swarming  with  fat 
cattle,  attest  the  capacity  of  the  soil,  and  give  hope  of 
a  future  vigorous  and  prosperous  Statv*. 

The  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  now  being  built  from 
Lake  Superior  to  Puget  sound,  will  pass  through  a  great 
portion  of  this  Territory,  and  materially  develoi)  its 
resouices  and  increase  its  population;  and  the  project('d 
Canadian  Pacific  road,  from  Canada  to  British  Columbia, 
when  constructed,  will  be  trilaitary  to  this  and  all  the 
American  territory  immediately  sui:Ui  of  that  line. 


6l2 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Several  towns  of  some  importance  have  sprung  up 
in  Idaho.  Among  the  principal  ones  are  Lewiston  and 
Idaho  City,  the  latter  with  a  population  of  889,  Silver 
City,  with  599,  and  the  territorial  capital,  Boise  City, 
with  995.  This  city  is  situated  in  the  southwestern 
corner  of  Idaho,  one  hundred  and  ten  miles  north  of  the 
southern  line,  and  sixty  miles  directly  east  from  where 
the  western  boundary  joins  the  State  of  Oregon. 

The  progress  made  in  quartz-mining  has  been  con- 
siderable. There  are  now  thirty  quartz-mills  in'  opera- 
tion ;  and  twenty-five  saw-mills  and  ten  flouring  mills. 
Churches,  schools,  and  theatres  are  maintained.  Four 
newspapers  are  published  in  Idaho,  and  the  territorial 
and  Supreme  Court  libraries,  at  Boise  City,  contain 
an  aggregate  of  fifteen  thousand  books. 

Idaho,  like  many  of  the  Territories  of  the  United 
States,  presents  the  somewhat  remarkable  condition  of 
a  preponderating  element  of  foreigners  in  her  popula- 
tion. The  census  of  1870  shows  the  entire  population 
of  the  Territory  to  have  been  14,999;  of  whom  7,114 
were  native  and  7,885  were  of  foreign  birth.  Of  the 
aggregate  population,  10,618  were  white  and  sixty 
colored,  besides  4,274  Chinese.  The  Chinese  in  this 
Territory,  as  in  every  section  of  the  republic  west  of 
the  Rocky  mountains,  push  their  way  into  every  por- 
tion, however  remote ;  establishing  their  wash-houses, 
enga|;Ing  as  laborers,  servants,  and  miners,  and,  while 
oblivious  to  latitude,  language,  laws,  and  customs,  seem 
to  fully  comprehend  the  value  of  the  charmer,  gold, 
whose  glitter  brought  them  over  deep  seas  and  desolate 
plains  and  intb  the  fastnesses  of  the  great  American 
deserts. 


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CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

WASHINGTON    TERRITORY. 

History,  area,  and  population — Boundary — Geograjiby — Mountains 
— Lakes — Rivers — Bays — Harbors — Seasons — Climate — Agiiciil- 
ture — Grazing — Forests — Lumber — Commerce — Fish — Game — 
Natives  —  Gold,  silver,  coal,  and  other  mines  —  Progress  — 
Railroads. 

Washington  Territory  was,  until  1853,  a  part  of 
the  Territory  of  Oregon,  at  which  time  it  was  by  act 
of  Congress  erected  into  a  separate  Territory,  with 
an  eraa  of  69,994  square  miles  This  Territory  is  the 
extreme  western  portion  of  the  United  States  south 
of  British  Columbia,  and  possesses  the  greatest  extent 
of  navigable  waters  of  any  State  or  Territory  in  the 
republic.  Passing  through  the  centre  of  the  Territory, 
from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to  west  on  its  eastern 
boundary,  are  one  thousand  miles  of  the  Columbia 
river;  and  on  its  western  shore  are  five  hundred  miles 
of  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  within  the  circle  of  its  great 
harbor — the  inland  sea,  Puget  sound — including  islands, 
are  three  thousand  one  hundred  miles  of  shore  line,  all 
accessible  to  the  largest  class  ships ;  making  an  aggre- 
gate of  lour  thousand  six  hundred  miles  of  navigable 
watfjr  1  jiri  in  the  Territory. 

Wa;5hin,^*:on  Territory  is  bounded  on  the  south  by 
the  River  Columbia,  which  forms  the  line  between  this 
Territory  and  the  State  of  Oregon ;  east  it  is  bounded 
by  Idaho;  west  by  British  Columbia,  the  boundary 
being  the  forty-ninth  degree  of  north  latitude ;  on  its 
northwest  corner  is  the  Strait  of  San  Juan  de  Fuca, 
and  upon  its  western  line  the  Pacific  ocean. 


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614 


TEH   GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  general  features  of  the  surface  of  this  Territory 
are  dense  forests  of  fir  and  other  trees,  broad  plains* 
numerous  fertile  valleys,  rugged  hills,  and  snow-capped 
mountains,  whose  bald  and  snow- clad  tops  stand  high 
above  the  surrounding  country;  numerous  lakes,  great 
navigable  waters,  and  dashing  streams  of  much  volume 
and  beauty. 

The  two  chief  mountain  chains  in  Washington  are 
the  Coast  Range,  broken  and  irregular,  and  the  Cascade 
range,  bold  and  well-defined.  In  this  latter  range  is 
the  highest  mountain  between  California  and  Alaska, 
Mount  Rainier,  about  seventy  miles  southeast  from 
Olympia  at  the  head  of  Puget  sound,  and  standing 
14,444  f^^t  above  the  waters  of  the  ocean.  In  the  tame 
mountain  chain,  and  about  the  same  distance  from 
Olympia  as  is  Rainier,  but  a  little  more  toward  the 
west,  stands  Mount  St.  Helen's,  9,550  above  the  sea 
level.  Forty-five  miles  directly  north  from  the  town  of 
Dalles,  on  the  Columbia,  is  Mount  Adams,  9,570  feet 
in  height.  All  these  mountains  are  in  the  Cascade 
range,  and  their  snow-clad  summits  can  be  seen  from 
Olympia,  the  Columbia  river,  and  surrounding  country 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Near  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  Territory,  and 
about  fifteen  miles  from  the  British  Columbia  line, 
and  twenty-five  miles  directly  east  from  the  ocean,  is 
Mount  Baker,  10,700  feet  :'n  height,  and  a  most  promi- 
nent object  from  the  waters  of  Bellingham  bay.  Straits 
of  Fuca,  Puget  sound,  and  adjacent  country.  The  next 
mountain  of  prominence  in  the  Territory  is  Mount 
Olympic,  and,  although  less  in  magnitude  than  any  of 
those  already  named,  owing  to  its  location,  is  the  most 
prominent  feature  of  the  whole  country.     It   stands 


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WASHINGTON  TERRITORY.  615 

upon  the  peninsula  formed  by  the  waters  of  the  Pacific 
•ocean,  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  and  Puget  sound.  It  is 
sixty-five  miles  in  a  direct  line  southeast  from  Cape 
Flattery,  the  extreme  northwestern  point  of  the  Terri- 
tory; twenty  miles  south  from  Port  Anglos,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Straits  of  Fuca;  forty-five  miles  about 
west  from  Port  Townsend,  at  the  entrance  of  Puget 
sound  ;  and  thirty-five  miles  northeast  from  the  highest 
waters  of  tht;  Pacific  ocean.  Lifting  its  head  8,138  feet 
above  the  ocean,  looking  far  out  upon  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific,  and  seeming  almost  to  cast  its  icy  shadow  far 
over  the  sea,  stands  Mount  Olympic — a  prominent  land- 
mark and  object  :br  every  navigator  in  this  quarter  of 
the  Pacific,  and  presenting  a  strong  and  beautiful  con- 
trast with  the  verdure  of  the  valleys  and  the  deep  green 
of  the  tall  firs,  whose  tops  struggle  in  vain  to  reach  the 
ermine  mantle  of  this  stately  sentinel  of  antiquity. 

The  navigable  waters  of  Washington  Territory  are 
of  the  most  extensive  and  remarkable  character.  Be- 
ginning at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Territory,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  which  forms  the  southern 
boundary  of  the  Territory,  dividing  Washington  Terri- 
tory and  Oregon,  it  runs  northward  through  Washing- 
ton Territory  and  a  great  portion  of  British  Columbia; 
has  one  thousand  miles  of  navigable  waters  in  Wash- 
ington, one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  of  which — from 
the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  to  the  Cascades — is  navi- 
gated by  ships  and  large  ocean -steamers.  At  this 
point,  after  making  a  portage  of  six  miles,  and  another 
at  Dalles,  farther  up  the  river,  small  steamers  and 
sailing  vessels  ascend  for  an  additional  distance  of  eight 
hundred  and  forty  miles.  Inside  the  Columbia  bar 
are  Gray's  and  Baker's  bays,  and  twenty-five  miles 


6i6 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


north  of  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  on  the  sea-coast, 
is  Shoalwater  bay,  celebrated  for  its  oyster-beds,  but 
navigable  only  for  small  vessels.  Twenty  miles  north 
of  Shoalwater  bay  is  Gray^s  harbor,  admitting  vessels 
of  light  draught  only.  From  this  point  to  Cape  Flat- 
tery, the  extreme  west  headland  of  the  Territory, 
there  are  several  small  rivers,  but  no  harbor  of  any 
importance.  Between  Cape  Flattery  and  the  mainland 
of  Washington  Territory  and  Vancouver  island,  on  the 
north  and  west,  is  the  famous  Strait  of  Fuca,  fourteen 
miles  in  width,  and  in  the  shape  of  a  half  circle,  sweep- 
ipg  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Cape  Flattery 
to  near  the  mouth  of  Frazer  river,  in  British  Columbia, 
where  it  meets  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  In  all  this  strait 
not  an  obstacle  is  found  to  impede  navigation — no 
sunken  rocks,  reefs,  or  shoals;  and  ships  of  the  largest 
size  can  go  close  to  the  main  shore  and  the  shores  of 
the  islands  toward  its  eastern  side.  In  the  middle  of 
the  strait  the  water  is  more  than  one  hundred  fathoms 
deep,  and  in  some  places  bottom  has  not  been  found. 
This  strait  leads  into  the  great  inland  sea  of  Puget 
sound,  which  enters  the  northwestern  end  of  Washing- 
ton Territory. 

Juan  de  Fuca  strait,  so  famous  in  the  early  records 
of  the  first  voyagers  on  the  North  Pacific  coast,  received 
its  name  in  1792  from  the  navigators  who,  about  this 
period,  'lad  confirmed  the  statements  of  its  real  dis- 
coverer, the  old  Greek  sailor,  Jua^i  de  Fuca,  whose 
early  voyage  had  not  determined  that  Vancouver  was 
an  island,  but  still  left  the  impression  that  the  island 
was  a  part  of  the  mainland.  Captain  Cook's  voyage 
of  1778,  although  extending  northward  beyond  the 
strait,  did  not  discover  it.      He  had  followed  the  outer 


i^i*- 


"« 


CASTI.E   ROCK,   rOUTMBIA   RTVF.R.. 


MOUNT  RAtNiF.R  FROM  vtif.KT  SOUND,  (Wasliington  Territory.) 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


617 


western  line  of  Vancouver  Island,  and  it  still  required 
the  voyages  of  Meares,  Berkely,  Duncan,  Kendricks, 
Gray,  and  others,  from  1787-9,  to  fully  confirm  the 
existence  of  a  strait  between  the  Island  of  Vancouver 
and  the  mainland.  On  the  29th  of  April,  1792,  Van- 
couver entered  the  strait  and  commenced  his  surveys 
to  confirm  the  existence  of  this  great  navigable  water ; 
but  Vancouver  found  the  Yankee  ahead  of  him.  On 
his  arrival  in  the  sound,  he  found  Captain  Gray,  of  Bos- 
ton, had  navigated  the  strait,  and  was  there  in  person, 
exploring  and  trafificking  with  the  Indians,  dealing  out 
his  "  Yankee  notions"  and  Massachusetts  copper  coins 
to  the  natives.  Gray  received  his  English  cousin 
kindly,  and  showed  him  the  country  "round  about," 
and  an  American  flag  floating  from  a  pole  on  the 
beach. 

In  1592,  Apostolus  Valerianos,  the  Greek  pilot  known 
as  y'ua7i  de  Fuca,  was  sent  by  the  Viceroy  of  Mexico 
on  a  voyage  of  discovery  along  the  coast  of  California 
and  Oregon,  and  along  the  northwest  coast.  Upon 
this  cruise  he  made  his  famous  discovery  of  the  strait 
now  bearing  his  name.  But  his  discovery  and  him- 
self were  long  regarded  as  myths,  neglected  and 
almost  forgotten,  as  the  viceroy,  without  affording 
him  material  aid,  recommended  him  to  the  King  of 
Spain,  with  a  report  of  his  discoveries;  but  no  aid 
rewarded  the  exertions  of  poor  Fuca,  who,  in  1602, 
died  in  Italy,  in  poverty  and  obscurity. 

A  brief  narrative  of  Fuca's  discovery,  published  in 
1625  by  Michael  Lok,  entitled  "■  Purchas  his  Pilgrimes^ 
first  published  under  the  title  of  "  A  note  made  by  me, 
Michael  Lok  the  elder,  touching  the  Strait  of  the  Sea,  com- 
monly called  Fretum  Anian,  in  the  South  sea,  through  the 


6i8 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


northwest  passage  of  Meta  incognita,"  had  first  intro- 
duced to  the  public  the  discoverer  of  the  Strait  of  Fuca. 
Lok  had  met  the  old  Greek  sailor  at  Venice  in  1596, 
and  learned  from  his  lips  his  triumphs  and  his  miseries. 
Captain  Candlish,  the  English  navigator  and  buccaneer, 
the  old  navigator  said,  had  taken  his  galleon  off  the 
coast  of  Lower  California,  "whereby  he  lost  sixtie 
thousand  duckets  of  his  owne  goods."  Fuca  applied 
to  the  English  government  through  Lord  Cecil,  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  and  others,  for  service  under  its 
patronage,  in  hope  of  regaining  his  losses  by  their 
pirate  countrymen,  but  without  success. 

The  narrative  of  Fuca's  voyage  into  the  strait  says : 

"Also,  he  said,  that  he  went  on  land  in  divers  places,  and  that 
he  saw  some  people  on  land  clad  in  beasts'  skins :  and  that  the  land 
is  very  fruitful  and  rich  in  gold,  silver,  pearl,  rnd  oriier  things,  like 
Nona  Spania. 

**  And  also,  he  said,  that  he  being  entered  thus  farre  into  the  said 
strait,  and  being  come  into  the  North  sea  already,  [between  Van- 
couver island  and  the  mainland,]  and  finding  the  sea  wide  enough 
everywhere,  and  to  be  about  thirtie  or  fortie  leagues  wide  in  the 
mouth  of  the  straits  where  hee  entered,  hee  thought  hee  had  now 
well  discharged  his  office  and  done  the  thing  which  hee  was  sent  to 
doe,  and  that  hee  not  being  armed  to  resist  the  force  of  the  salvage 
people  that  might  happen,  hee  therefore  set  sayle  and  returned 
homewards  againe  towards  N,oua  Spania^  where  he  arrived  at 
Acapulco,  Anno  1592." 

Puget  sound,  from  its  western  entrance  near  Port 
Townsend  to  its  head  waters  at  Olympia,  is  eighty  miles 
in  a  direct  line,  and  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
by  the  course  generally  navigated.  North  of  the  en- 
trance at  Port  Townsend,  and  toward  Bellingham  bay, 
there  are  several  '-ntrances  through  channels  and  groups 
of  islands  to  this  sound,  and  ships  of  the  largest  size 


01 
sc 


ler 
th( 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


619 


can  at  all  seasons  and  with  all  winds  find  an  easy 
entrance  and  exit  to  and  from  this  magnificent  sheet 
of  water. 

Bellingham  bay,  which  is  fifty  miles  north  of  Port 
Townsend,  and  which  forms  an  opening  into  Puget 
sound,  is  distant  from  Olympia  one  hundred  and  thirty 
miles  in  a  direct  line;  so  that  Puget  sound  proper  is 
about  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  in  length  in  an  air- 
line from  its  head  waters  to  its  northern  entrance. 
The  sound  has  an  average  width  of  twenty-five  miles, 
swelling  in  its  widest  part  to  fifty  miles.  The  general 
course  of  the  waters  of  the  sound  is  from  north  to 
south,  and  from  the  entrances  to  its  head  is  a  succession 
Ol  islands,  some  small,  others  containing  thousands  of 
acres,  and  nearly  all  covered  with  oak,  ash,  fir,  and 
other  timber,  shrubbery,  fern,  and  green  grass,  lending 
a  most  picturesque  and  romantic  appearance  to  this 
lovely  section.  Innumerable  channels,  inlets,  coves,  and 
small  bays  indent  the  mainland  and  the  shores  of  the 
islands  within  the  sound,  which,  with  the  verdure  of 
the  surrounding  country,  the  stillness  of  the  waters, 
the  dense  and  deep  green  forests  rising  upon  either 
side,  and  the  venerable  white  heads  of  the  mountains 
in  the  background,  not  only  make  Puget  sound  one 
of  the  finest  and  safest  harbors  in  the  world  but  a 
scene  of  unsurpassed  beauty. 

Like  the  Strait  of  Fuca,  Puget  sOund  is  uninterrupted 
by  either  rocks,  reefs,  flats,  or  shoals — there  not  being 
a  single  object  of  danger  to  navigation  within  the  whole 
length  of  a  coast  line,  including  islands,  bays,  and  inlets, 
of  three  thousand  one  hundred  miles.  In  all  this 
length  there  is  not  an  object  to  retard  the  progress  of 
the  largest  ocean-steamer,  and  in  most  places  so  deep 


i 


620 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


\ 


is  the  water  that  the  sides  of  the  largest  ship  will 
touch  the  banks  before  her  keel  will  touch  the  bottom. 
With  but  few  exceptions  the  banks  are  clay,  and  the 
beach  white,  hard  sand  and  pebble.  The  water  of  the 
sound  is  of  crystal  purity,  and  sixty  fathoms  deep  in 
many  places,  and  in  some  parts  bottom  has  not  been 
found  with  a  hundred  fathom  line.  There  are  several 
streams  running  into  the  sound,  but  none  of  any  mag- 
nitude, and  there  is  no  bay  or  river  at  its  head ;  but  the 
water  of  the  ocean  flows  its  whole  length,  making  a 
rise  of  twelve  feet  at  neap  tide  and  eighteen  feet  at 
spring  tide.  At  Olympia,  the  head  of  the  waters,  there 
is  quite  a  long  mud-flat  at  low  tide,  but  this  is  the  only 
place  of  this  kind  upon  the  whole  sound.  Indeed, 
in  most  parts,  the  water  is  too  deep  for  convenient 
anchorage. 

Ice  is  never  seen  in  all  the  waters  of  Puget  sound. 
It  is  never  stormy  upon  this  inland  sea.  There  are  no 
strong  currents,  cross  seas,  gales,  nor  gusts  of  wind. 
The  climate  is  mild,  the  waters  sheltered  upon  every 
side,  completely  landlocked;  and  pure  water,  fish,  game, 
wood,  and  coal  are  abundant,  making  it  one  of  the 
safest  and  most  convenient  seaports  in  the  world -for 
repairs  and  supplies.  The  waters  of  Puget  sound  are 
navigated  by  steamers  and  ships,  and  steamers  run 
regularly  to  and  from  this  point  and  California,  Van- 
couver island,  and  other  places ;  and  fleets  of  domes- 
tic and  foreign  vessels  load  with  lumber  and  spars  for 
Europe,  Asia,  Australia,  South  America,  Sandwich 
islands,  and  California. 

The  climate  of  Puget  sound  and  adjoining  country  is 
mild  and  generally  agreeable,  never  being  too  cold  nor 
too  hot.     It  is  much  like  the  climate  of  Oregon.    Snow 


R( 


th( 
nil 
evd 
noi 
sm 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


621 


o 

Q 
A 

O 


falls  upon  the  mountain  ridges  and  high  lands ;  and  for 
a  few  days  in  each  winter  a  light  coat  of  snow  may  fall 
in  some  of  the  valleys,  but  is  soon  swept  away  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun.  Ice  is  formed  upon  the  waters  of  the 
northeastern  portion  of  the  Territory  ;  but  throughout 
the  region  upon  the  sea-cor^  ^  and  all  the  southern  sec- 
tion frost  and  snow  are  seldoiu  seen.  The  ground  is 
never  frozen.  Vegetables  grow  the  year  round;  and 
horses,  sheep,  and  cattle  ^raze  at  large  throughout  the 
whole  winter.  Gardening  is  g''^nerally  begun  in  March, 
but  vegetables  and  flowers  grow  every  day  in  the  year; 
and  farming  is  never  interrupted  by  cold  or  frost.  The 
waters  of  Puget  sound  are  never  frozen,  and  the  climate 
of  winter  and  summer  differs  but  a  few  degrees — the 
mean  annual  temperature  being  fifty  degrees ;  winter 
temperature  being  forty-one  degrees,  and  mean  summer 
sixty-two  degrees.  Yet  this  region  is  in  the  line  of  the 
forty-ninth  degree  of  north  latitude,  is  three  degrees 
farther  north  than  the  city  of  St.  John,  Newfoundland, 
and  the  city  of  Quebec,  Canada;  and  is  north  of  the 
whole  of  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  Prince  Edward 
island,  and  the  whole  of  the  River  St.  Lawrence.  But 
Puget  sound  is  seventy  degrees  west  of  St.  John's, 
Newfoundland,  and  fifty-two  degrees  west  of  Quebec, 
and  where  the  influence  of  the  great  interior  line  of  the 
Rocky  mountains  and  the  waters  and  breezes  of  the 
Pacific  ocean  so  subdue  the  rigors  of  winter  as  to  make 
the  whole  Pacific  coast — at  least  as  far  as  the  forty- 
ninth  degree  of  north  latitude — perpetual  summer;  and 
even  up  to  Behring  strait,  in  the  sixty-sixth  degree  of 
north  latitude,  along  the  whole  coast  line,  so  mild  that 
snow  rarely  falls  upon  the  low  lands,  and  that  heavy 


I  .^! 


622 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


falls  of  cold  rains  with  light  frosts  constitute  the  wintei 
of  this  region  on  the  sea-coast. 

One  of  the  chief  features  of  Washington  Territory  is 
its  vast  forests.  These  consist  of  fir  trees,  which,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Puget  sound  and  the  whole  western  portion 
of  the  Territory,  cover  the  greater  part  of  the  surface 
and  grow  to  a  great  size.  The  forest  is  dense;  the 
trees  straight,  free  from  limbs,  and  generally  carry  their 
thickness  well  toward  the  top,  which  is  surmounted 
with  a  tuft  of  evergreen  boughs.  The  timber  is  free 
from  knots,  strong,  and  durable ;  and  is  used  generally 
in  house  and  ship  building,  and  makes  the  finest  masts 
and  spars  in  the  world.  The  trees  generally  grow 
from  two  hundred  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height,  and  from  four  to  ten  feet  in  diameter ;  and  trees 
are  often  found  to  grow  three  hundred  feet  in  height; 
and  at  some  of  the  mills  on  the  sound,  planks  of  two 
hundred  feet  in  length,  clear,  and  entirely  free  of  knots, 
are  cut.  Lumbering,  agriculture,  and  mining  are  the 
chief  occupations  of  the  people  ;  and  sawed  and  other 
lumber  finds  a  market  in  California,  Mexico,  South  and 
Central  America,  the  Sandwich  islands,  and  even  in 
Australia,  China,  Japan,  and  some  parts  of  Europe. 
With  the  great  supply  of  timber,  the  fine  harbors,  and 
genial  climate  of  Washington  Territory,  it  must  at 
some  day  become  an  important  ship-building  point. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  all  the  surface  of 
Washington  Territory  is  covered  with  forest:  on  the 
contrary,  even  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sound,  there  are 
many  rich  and  beautiful  valleys,  and  a  considerable  arci 
of  excellent  agricultural  land  ;  and  agricultural  pursuits, 
which  are  conducted  m  all  parts  of  the  Territory,  show 


y,  show 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY,  623 

that  the  soil  will  produce  abundantly  of  wheat,  oats, 
barley,  vegetables,  and  fruit;  and  that  timothy  and 
clover,  neither  of  which  will  grow  in  California,  except 
in  a  few  localities,  grow  most  luxuriantly. 

As  a  grazing  country,  Washington  Territory  Is  equal 
to  any  portion  of  America — the  mild  climate,  native 
grasses,  and  rich  herbage  making  it  a  most  desirable 
place  for  horses,  cattle,  and  sheep.  Animals  live  in  the 
open  air  during  the  whole  year,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  cold  or  stormy  days  in  January  in  a  few  locali- 
ties, experience  litde  difficulty  in  supporting  themselves 
without  the  aid  of  man. 

Wild  game  of  almost  every  variety — elk,  deer,  bear, 
swan,  geese,  ducks,  crane,  snipe,  plover,  grouse,  and 
many  others — abound.  Fur  animals — seal,  sea-otter, 
otter,  beaver,  mink,  fox,  martin,  and  other  varieties — 
are  abundant,  and  of  good  quality.  The  bays  and 
rivers  are  well  stocked  with  fish,  salmon  of  the  finest 
quality  abounding  in  the  Columbia  and  the  waters  of 
Puget  sound,  and  all  the  rivers  of  any  size.  Mines  of 
the  precious  and  other  metals  are  found,  and  worked  to 
great  advantage  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  On 
the  tributaries  of  the  Columbia,  and  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  Territory,  gold  and 
silver  mines,  yielding  annually  one  million  dollars,  are 
worked  with  great  profit.  Rich  deposits  of  copper  and 
iron  have  been  discovered,  and  coal-beds  of  great  ex- 
tent and  value  abound  in  the  whole  country  surround- 
ing Puget  sound  and  Bellingham  bay.  The  country 
generally  is  well  watered  with  dashing  streams,  and  the 
falls  and  cascades  afford  abundant  motive  power  for  the 
future  mechanical  industries  of  this  quarter.  Wild 
berries  in  great  quantity  and  variety  grow  throughout 


624 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


the  Territory,  and  these,  with  the  abundance  of  fish 
and  game,  supplied  the  wants  of  the  numerous  Indian 
tribes  inhabiting  this  section.  There  are  still  large 
numbers  of  Indians  in  Washington  Territory,  but,  as 
in  most  other  quarters  of  the  West,  they  are  passing 
away.  Soon  will  the  canoe  of  the  red  man  be  seen 
upon  the  waters  of  Puget  sound  no  more  forever.  The 
coming  shriek  of  the  steam-whistle  will  sound  the  death- 
knell  of  the  Chinook,  Shawnee,  Walla  Walla,  and  J^lal- 
head  throughout  the  forests  and  along  the  shores  of 
this  western  land. 

The  people  of  Washington  Territory  are  chiefly 
American,  but  there  is  a  large  number  of  other  nation- 
alities. It  has  not  yet  become  dense  enough  to  indulge 
its  members  in  all  the  vice  of  more  populous  places, 
and  the  inhabitants  are  generally  industrious  and  well 
disposed.  Churches,  schools,  libraries,  and  other  evi- 
dence of  progress  are  to  be  found.  The  federal  gov- 
ernment has  donated  to  the  Territory  three  thousand 
square  miles  of  land  for  educational  jpurposes,  and  a 
territorial  university  is  maintained  at  Seattle,  on  the 
shores  of  Puget  sound,  and  free  schools  are  liberally 
maintained  throughout  the  country. 

Washington  is  divided  into  twenty-one  counties,  with 
the  territorial  capital  at  Olympia,  at  the  head  waters 
of  Puget  sound.  The  population  of  the  Territory  in 
1870  was  23,955,  having  more  than  doubled  during  the 
past  ten  years.  Of  the  entire  population,  18,931  were 
native  Americans,  and  5,024  were  of  foreign  birth. 
There  were  207  colored  and  234  Chinese  in  the  Terri- 
tory at  this  period. 

In  1870,  there  were  in  Washington  Territory  twenty- 
five  grist-mills,  fifty-six  saw-mills,  one  woollen  factory, 


(.KEAT    bi'KIN(;,  KIRE-HOLE    'lASIN. 


YELLOWSTONE   LAKE,  WYOMING   TERRITORY. 
(Line  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad.; 


fc 

Pi 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


625 


thirteen  newspapers,  and  four  public  libraries,  contain- 
ing an  aggregate  of  nine  thousand  volumes;  a  terri- 
torial university  and  several  schools  and  churches. 
There  were  at  the  same  time  within  the  Territory  two 
hundred  thousand  acres  of  improved  land,  and  eleven 
thousand  horses,  one  thousand  mules,  fifty  thousand 
cattle,  thirty-one  thousand  sheep,  and  fifteen  thousand 
hogs;  and  there  were  produced  in  this  year  four  hun- 
dred thousand  bushels  of  wheat,  three  hundred  thou- 
sand bushels  of  barley,  sixty-one  thousand  bushels  of 
oats,  and  thirty-one  thousand  tons  of  hay.  The  lumber 
resources  are  almost  inexhaustible,  and  of  the  very  best 
quality.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  this  trade  may 
be  had  from  the  fact  that  the  small  population  of  the 
lumber  districts  in  the  vicinity  of  Puget  sound  manu- 
factured, in  1870,  one  hundred  and  ninety  million  fecU 
furnishing  cargoes  for  one  hundred  and  thirteen  ships, 
one  hundred  and  ninety-one  barks,  forty-five  brigs,  and 
eighty-seven  schooners,  which  found  their  way  to  all 
parts  of  the  Pacific  coast.  South  and  Central  America, 
Sandwich  Islands,  Australia,  East  Indies,  China,  Japan, 
and  Europe. 

Altogether — with  the  mild  climate,  rich  mines,  great 
forests,  navigable  waters,  agricultural  and  grazing  lands, 
and  the  large  amount  of  the  public  domain  yet  open  to 
settlement — Washington  Territory  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  sections  of  America  In  which  the  immigrant 
can  seek  a  home.  Here  Is  yet  the  virgin  soil,  primitive 
forests,  and  great  natural  wealth  for  a  prosperous  and 
populous  State;  and  here,  too,  is  the  last  remaining 
available  site  In  the  United  States  for  a  great  maritime 
commercial  cit)'  on  the  shores  of  the  magnificent  Inland 
sea  of  Puget  sound,  inviting  to  its  capacious  bosom  the 


I  I 


40 


626 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


commerce  of  Asia  and  the  North  Pacific  coast,  and 
standing  in  an  almost  direct  line  between  the  great  pro- 
ducing and  consuming  centres  of  the  world — Europe 
and  Asia. 

The  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  now  being  built  from 
Lake  Superior  to  Puget  sound,  will,  when  finished, 
draw  to  its  western  terminus  the  nucleus  of  a  great 
city,  develop  the  agricultural  and  mineral  resources  of 
Montana,  Wyoming,  Idaho,  Northern  Oregon,  Wash- 
ington Territory,  and  a  great  portion  of  the  rich  val- 
leys of  that  portion  of  the  Canadian  dominion  between 
the  lakes  and  the  rocky  mountains,  rich  in  soil,  min- 
erals, and  forests,  the  gold-fields  and  other  resources 
of  British  Columbia,  and  the  gold  and  coal  mines  of 
Alaska,  and  the  vast  fishing  resources  of  the  Pacific. 

In  considering  the  new  national  highway  of  the 
North,  it  is  well  to  estimate  its  advantages  in  its  com- 
mercial and  local  influences,  and  also  in  its  national 
importance.  Already  the  lakes  of  the  interior  are  con- 
nected by  water  and  rail  with  the  Atlantic  seaboard, 
and  the  products  of  interior  America  find  their  way 
to  the  ocean  line  and  to  Europe  through  these  chan- 
nels ;  but  farther  toward  the  West — from  the  lakes  to 
the  Pacific  ocean — lies  a  vast  region,  mild  in  climate, 
rich  in  soil,  minerals,  forests,  and  wonders,  yet  to  be 
brought  under  the  dominion  of  man,  and  upon  which 
prosperous  and  vigorous  States  must  yet  be  erected. 

The  section  of  country  to  be  affected  by  the  Northern 
railroad  is  vastly  superior  in  climate  and  natural  re- 
sources to  the  country  between  the  Sierras  afid  the 
Rocky  mountains,  along  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific 
roads.  An  opinion  prevails  that,  along  the  line  of  the 
Northern  road,  cold  must  be  intense,  and  the  obstruc- 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY, 


627 


tlons  of  snow  formidable ;  this  notion  is  incorrect. 
As  you  proceed  north  from  the  line  of  the  Union  and 
Central  Pacific  roads  the  elevation  decreases,  gradually 
falling  from  8,235  feet  at  Sherman,  in  the  Rocky 
mountains,  on  the  Union  Pacific,  and  7,042  feet  at  Sum- 
mit, in  the  Sierras,  to  4,950  feet  at  Deer  Lodge  Pass, 
and  3,700  feet  at  Clark's  river,  on  the  line  of  the  North 
Pacific  road  in  the  Rocky  mountains.  These  being  the 
highest  points  on  the  line  of  the  roads  mentioned,  it 
will  thus  be  seen  that,  along  the  line  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  road,  the  elevation  is  at  least  three  thousand  feet 
less  than  along  the  line  of  the  Union  and  Central  Pa- 
cific roads.  This  depression  continues  from  Lake 
Superior  to  Puget  sound  on  the  Pacific,  leaving  a  belt 
running  across  the  whole  continent  of  from  eight  hun- 
dred to  a  thousand  miles  in  breadth  lying  from  three 
to  four  thousand  feet  lower  than  the  rangfe  from  San 
Francisco  to  Chicago:  forming  a  depression  through 
which,  at  least  as  far  east  as  the  Rocky  mountains, 
the  mild  trade-winds  of  the  Pacific  carry  their  influence, 
rendering  the  whole  region  from  Puget  sound  to  the 
Rocky  mountains,  and  a  great  area  of  the  territory  of 
British  Columbia — even  as  far  north  as  Lesser  Slave 
lake  in  the  line  of  the  fifty-sixth  degree  of  north  latitude 
— milder  in  winter  than  the  climate  of  the  States  of 
Virginia  and  Tennessee. 

The  new  road  to  the  Pacific  begins  at  the  head  of 
Lake  Superior,  passing  directly  west  between  the  forty- 
sixth  and  fort>'-eighth  degrees  of  latitude  through  the 
centre  of  the  State  of  Minnesota,  through  Dakota,  in 
the  centre  of  which  it  crosses  the  Missouri  river  and  a 
succession  of  streams,  forests,  and  fertile  valleys;  cross- 
ing the  whole  length  of  Montana  Territory,  where,  for 


628 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


four  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  it  follows  the  valley  of  the 
Yellowstone  river,  with  its  fertility,  sterility,  forests,  des- 
erts, lakes,  water- falls,  fire-holes,  hot,  miheral,  and 
other  springs,  and  its  famous  geysers,  presenting  the 
grandest  combination  of  beauties  and  natural  wonders 
on  the  continent.  Yellowstone  Lake  and  the  princi- 
pal geysers  lie  directly  in  the  line  of  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad  and  in  the  northwestern  corner  of 
Wyoming  Territory,  close  to  the  line  of  Montana,  and 
just  east  of  the  base  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and 
directly  in  the  forty-fifth  degree  of  north  latitude  and 
thirty-three  west  longitude.  Here,  embracing  a  vast 
tract  which  includes  the  water-falls,  lakes,  geysers,  hot, 
mud,  sulphur,  and  other  springs,  with  the  beautiful 
scenery,  the  National  Congress  has  made  a  reservation 
for  a  public  park,  where  the  near  future  will  witness 
thousands  of  health  and  pleasure  seekers  enjoying  the 
finest  natural  scenery  and  grandest  combination  of 
natural  phenomena  in  America. 

The  park  reserved  by  the  national  government  is 
the  largest  reservation  for  public  uses  in  the  world, 
being  sixty-five  miles  in  length  and  fifty-five  miles  in 
breadth,  or  an  area  of  3,575  square  miles.  These  vast 
public  grounds  are  under  the  supervision  of  a  commis- 
sioner appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States ; 
and  a  large  painting  of  the  Yellowstone  ca^fion,  to  adorn 
the  walls  of  the  national  capitol,  has  recently  been 
completed. 

At  this  park,  the  course  of  the  road  turns  northwest 
through  the  mineral  districts  of  Montana,  following  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  until,  at  Deer 
Lodge  Pass,  it  crosses  this  range  and  follows  on  north- 
west in  that  portion  of  Montana  west  of  the  Rocky 


in 
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WASHINGTON   TERRITORY. 


629 


mountains  until  it  reaches  Missoule  Mills,  near  the 
eastern  line  of  Idaho,  where  the  road  will  branch,  one 
line  keeping  on  northwest  until,  at  the  forty-ninth 
parallel  of  north  latitude,  it  crosses  in  a  direct  westerly- 
line  the  northern  end  of  Idaho  and  Washington  Terri- 
tories, crossing  the  Columbia  river,  and  on  to  Puget 
sound,  along  the  eastern  shore  of  which  it  passes  west- 
ward to  the  great  coal  regions  of  Bellingham  bay,  close 
to  the  British  line.  At  Missoule  Mills,  in  the  western 
slope  of  Montana,  where  the  road  branches,  one  line 
turns  a  little  south  of  west,  crossing  Idaho,  and,  at  its 
western  line,  crosses  the  Snake  river  at  Lewiston, 
where  it  enters  Washington  Territory,  and  at  old  Fort 
Walla  Walla  crcrsses  the  Columbia  river,  upon  the 
western  side  of  which  it  passes  through  the  fertile  and 
beautiful  country  of  the  Columbia  for  one  hundred  and 
seventy  miles  to  Fort  Vancouver,  thence  turning  di- 
rectly west,  following  the  river,  reaches  Kalama,  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Columbia,  where  '  .urns  directly  north 
through  the  rich  valley  of  the  Cowlitz  to  Olympia,  where 
it  joins  the  northern  branch  in  its  course  westward  to  the 
British  boundary:  making  the  entire  line,  from  Duluth, 
Lake  Superior,  by  the  branch  via  Vancouver,  a  total 
distance  of  two  thousand  miles  to  Puget  sound,  and  by 
the  northern  branch,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles. 

As  a  winter  road,  it  is  fair  to  conclude  that  no  greater 
interruptions  from  snow  will  be  experienced  than  pre- 
vail in  any  of  the  Atlantic  States ;  the  whole  line  of 
road,  from  Duluth  to  Puget  sound,  has  but  an  average 
elevation  of  two  thousand  two  hundred  feet,  and  the 
fall  of  snow  is  much  less  than  it  is  one  thousand  miles 
farther  south.    In  the  whole  length  of  the  Union  Pacific 


630 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


road,  from  Chicago  to  San  Francisco,  during  the  severe 
winter  of  187 1-2,  t?i "  only  obstruction  by  snow  was  in 
the  range  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  at  an  elevation  of 
from  seven  thousand  four  hundred  to  eight  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea,  not  an  hour's  obstruction  occurring 
on  any  point  as  low  as  the  highest  point  on  the  line  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  road. 

The  national  government,  comprehending  the  import- 
ance of  this  international  highway,  has  aided  its  construc- 
tion by  donating  to  it  almost  twenty-three  thousand  acres 
per  mile,  or  fifty  million  acres  of  land  in  the  aggregate. 

The  Northern  Pacific  road  will  make  the  route 
between  Liverpool  and  the  ports  of  Asia  one  thousand 
four  hundred  miles  shorter  than  any  4ine  now  travelled, 
and  place  the  great  lakes  of  the  interior  and  the  Pacific 
ocean  almost  seven  hundred  miles  closer  together  than 
the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  ;  and  New  York  city  three 
hundred  and  thirty-five  miles  nigher  to  Puget  sound 
than  to  San  Francisco.  This  northern  road  will  be  the 
natural  outlet  for  the  business  soon  to  be  developed  in 
the  rich  valleys  of  the  Red  river,  the  head  of  the  Mis- 
souri, Yellowstone,  Assiniboin,  and  Saskatchewan,  east 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  the  rich  fields  of  gold  and 
agriculture  in  Montana,  Idaho,  Oregon,  and  Washing- 
ton Territory;  and  its  terminus  at  Puget  sound  will  be 
the  connecting  link  of  the  immense  Asiatic  and  Pacific 
trade  passing  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  which  will 
include  the  whaling  and  other  fishing  interests  of  the 
Pacific,  soon  to  find  their  natural  depot  in  the  splendid 
and  genial  harbor  of  Puget  sound. 

From  Lake  Superior  to  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  in 
Washington  Territory,  on  both  sides  of  the  Rocky  moun- 
tains, is  a  vast  region  of  unsurpassed  fertility,  where 


Ic  in 
)un- 

lliere 


WASHINGTON  TERRITORY. 


6m 


wheat,  oats,  barley,  potatoes,  most  of  the  hardier  fruits, 
and  every  variet)'  of  berries  and  vegetables  grow  most 
abundantly :  a  deep,  rich  soil,  millions  of  acres  of  which 
are  ready  for  the  plow ;  forests  of  beauty  and  value, 
wide  grazing  ranges,  rivers,  lakes,  and  mines  rich  in 
gold,  silver,  copper,  coal,  and  other  minerals,  almost 
eiitirely  unoccupied.  Here  new  communities  and  new 
States  must  be  built;  here  is  room  enough  for  ^/(y 
million  people.  Who  can  contemplate  the  future  great- 
ness of  the  new  States  of  this  region,  and  the  national 
importance  of  its  hidden  treasures  being  brought  close 
to  our  crowded  centres  by  the  tireless  iron  horse,  whose 
ambition  sets  at  defiance  the  rocks,  ridges,  and  forests 
of  the  Rocky  mountains  I 


632 


THE  GOLDEN  STATA, 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 


BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 


Geography  —  History  —  Hudson  Bay  Company — Area  —  Islands — 
Mountains —  Rivers — Lakes  —  Forests  —  Climate — Agriculture^ 
Valleys — Seasons — Rain —  Bays  —  Harbors  —  Inlets — Natural  re- 
sources— Gold  and  other  minerals — Cities — Customs — Population 
— Natives — Commerce — Canadian  railway. 

British  Columbia  is  that  portion  of  the  Dominion  of 
Canada  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  washed 
on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  is  the  only 
portion  of  the  whole  possessions  of  Great  Britain  on 
the  Pacific,  and  embraces,  besides  the  mainland  of 
British  Columbia,  a  number  of  islands  in  the  Pacific, 
embracing  Vancouver,  in  itself  three  hundred  miles 
in  length  and  sixty  miles  wide,  Queen  Charlotte,  and 
numerous  other  islands,  many  of  them  of  great  size, 
and  possessing  valuable  forests,  a  genial  climate,  abun- 
dance of  fish  in  their  waters,  and  game,  and  mines  of 
gold,  silver,  copper,  coal,  and  other  minerals  within 
their  area. 

The  colony  of  British  Columbia  was  formerly  a  por- 
tion of  that  vast  region  known  as  the  Hildson  Bay 
Company's  territory,  which  extended  from  Lake  Supe- 
rior west  and  north  to  the  Pacific  and  the  Arctic  oceans, 
and  included  at  one  time  Oregon  and  Washington 
Territory,  over  all  of  which  region  the  dominion  of  this 
once  mighty  company  was  absolute  in  commercial  and 
military  affairs,  and  in  a  portion  of  which  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  still  conducts  their  fur  trade  to  considera- 
ble extent. 


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BRITISH  COLUMBIA.  633 

The  present  limits  of  British  Columbia  are  west  by 
the  Pacific  ocean  and  a  portion  of  Alaska,  north  by  the 
Arctic  ocean,  east  by  the  Rocky  mountains,  and  south 
by  Washington  Territory,  in  the  forty-ninth  degree  of 
north  latitude.  From  this  point  toward  the  northwest, 
the  colony  of  British  Columbia  has  a  direct  fron^^age  of 
six  hundred  miles  on  the  Pacific ;  here  a  long  tongue 
of  Alaska,  of  six  hundred  miles  in  length  and  a  hun- 
dred miles  wide,  extends  along  the  coast  toward  the 
southeast,  and  cutting  off  six  hundred  additional  miles 
of  coast  line  from  the  colony.  The  total  area  of  British 
lumbia,  which  now  includes  Vancouver  island  (lately 
separate  colony)  and  a  multitude  of  other  islands, 
is  estimated  at  three  hundred  thousand  square  miles. 

British  Columbia  is  a  succession  of  mountain  chains, 
rugged  peaks,  plains,  fertile  valleys,  dense  forests,  lakes, 
:» creeks,  and  dashing  rivers,  all  making  a  varied,  wild, 
and  picturesque  country,  and,  although  still  almost  in 
its  primitive  condition,  ve'*y  desirable  in  many  sections, 
affording  rich  agricultural  fields  and  wide  pasture- 
ranges,  where  cattle,  horses,  and  sheep  graze  at  large 
throughout  the  entire  year.  In  the  interior,  and  toward 
the  eastern  line  of  the  colony,  the  mountains  are  high, 
and  many  peaks  are  perpetually  clad  in  snow;  but 
toward  the  Pacific  side  but  little  snow  falls,  and  on  the 
immediate  coast  line  and  the  islands  the  climate  is  mild 
— milder  than  in  any  portion  of  the  States  of  Virginia, 
Maryland,  or  Tennessee;  and  the  same  warm  winds 
and  ocean  currents  from  the  Pacific,  which  temper  the 
whole  seaboard  of  California,  Oregon,  and  Washington 
Territory,  keep  the  climate  of  the  coast  range  of  this 
section  most  inviting — so  mild  in  winter  that  vegetables 
grow  throughout  the  whole  year,  and  so  cool,  yet  so 


634 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


charming,  that  the  climate  of  the  coast  line  and  the 
islands  is  invigorating  and  delightful.  In  the  greater 
portion  of  British  Columbia,  both  islands  and  mainland, 
along  the  coast  west  of  Washington  Territory,  the 
winter  temperature  varies  little  from  an  average  of  40° ; 
spring,  48°;  summer,  62°;  autumn,  50°;  and  the  annual 
temperature,  51°.  Rains  fall  in  this  section  about  the 
same  as  in  Oregon  and  Washington  Territory,  being 
dispersed  more  generally  through  all  the  seasons  of 
the  year  than  along  the  southern  Pacific  coast.  About 
sixty  inches  of  rain  falls  along  the  coast  during  the 
year,  the  greater  part  falling  from  November  to  Ap|:il, 
the  rest  of  the  year  being  comparatively  dry.  \ 

Along  the  sea-coast  of  the  colony  and  the  islands 
are  the  most  charming  navigable  waters  in  the  world. 
On  the  east  end  ol  Vancouver  island,  and  followed  up 
to  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  is  the  charming  inlet,  so  placid, 
the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  separating  Vancouver  island 
from  Washington  Territory  on  the  east;  thence  along 
the  mainland,  with  Vancouver,  Queen  Charlotte,  and 
other  islands  to  the  south,  is  a  direct  line  of  six  hundred 
miles,  indented  witfc  innumerable  bays,  harbors,  rivers, 
inlets,  and  sounds,  including  Burard  inlet,  Howe  sound, 
Jarvis  canal,  Toba  inlet,  Bute  inlet,  Vancouver  and 
Queen  Charlotte  straits,  and  many  others  of  great 
magnitude,  with  high,  hanging,  rugged  mountain  peaks, 
some  bald  and  stern,  others  clad  in  perpetual  verdure 
of  forest  trees,  grasses  and  herbs,  which  mirror  their 
beauties  in  the  still  waters,  upon  which  float  the  fleets 
of  Indian  canoes,  freighted  with  fish,  furs,  ivory,  and 
bone  for  their  commercial  patrons — the  Hudson  Bay 
Company.  In  climate,  beautiful  waters,  capacious  har- 
bors, and  safe  anchorage,  and  wild,  charming  scenery, 


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BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 


635 


this  coast  is  not  surpassed  on  the  continent.  In  all  the 
rivers  and  bays  salmon  and  other  fish,  of  great  size  and 
superior  quality,  abound;  and  valuable  fishing-grounds 
of  cod,  halibut,  and  other  deep-sea  fish  exist  off  the 
coast.  In  the  interior,  elk,  deer,  bear,  otter,  martin,  fox, 
mink,  geese,  ducks,  trout,  and  a  great  variety  of  game 
of  birds  and  beasts,  and  valuable  fur-bearing  animals, 
are  found. 

In  the  interior  of  the  colony  many  mountain  peaks 
rise  to  great  height,  and  are  clad  perpetually  in  snow. 
The  Rocky  mountains,  forming  its  eastern  boundary, 
are  known  in  the  colony  as  Selkirk  mountains.  Here, 
in  latitude  fifty-three  north,  Mount  Brown  stands  six- 
teen thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  Mount  Hooker 
has  an  elevation  of  fifteen  thousand  seven  hundred  feet. 
The  course  of  the  Rocky  mountains  is  northward  thiough 
the  country  until  finally  they  reach  the  ice-bound  shores 
of  the  Arctic  ocean.  So  with  the  Sierra  Nevada  range 
in  this  region,  although  passing  under  other  names,  run 
through  the  whole  length  of  the  colony,  parallel  with 
the  Rocky  mountains,  bearing  with  them  their  rich 
freight  of  the  precious  metals  so  abundantly  diffused  in 
the  rich  gold-mines  of  Cariboo,  the  Frazer,  Thompson, 
and  other  rivers  of  British  Columbia. 

Forests  of  great  magnitude  and  value,  consisting 
chiefly  of  fir,  oak,  cedar,  and  ash,  abound  in  many  parts 
of  the  country,  and  the  fir  trees  often  reach  a  height 
of  from  two  to  three  hundred  feet,  straight  and  free 
from  limbs,  making  a  superior  quality  of  lumber.  The 
fish,  fur,  and  lumber  interests  of  the  colony  are  very 
valuable ;  while  coal  on  Vancouver  and  other  islands, 
and  on  the  mainland,  is  abundant  and  of  superior 
quality.      Iron,  lead,  copper,  gold,  and  silver  also  exist, 


636 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  the  rich  gold-mines  developed  in  1858  have  con- 
tinued to  yield  abundantly,  not  being  surpassed  in  rich- 
ness even  in  California  or  Australia.  These  mines  are 
chiefly  worked  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers,  and  banks  and 
sand-bars  on  the  Frazer,  Thompson,  and  other  rivers 
and  their  various  branches,  which  produce  free  gold  of 
great  purity,  and  of  late  years  quartz  veins  of  great 
richness  have  been  opened.  During  the  last  fourteen 
years  the  gold-mines  of  British  Columbia  have  steadily 
yielded  rich  rewards  to  those  engaged,  (of  course  all 
do  not  succeed,)  and,  with  about  two  thousand  men 
employed,  the  mines  now  produce  over  two  million 
dollars  annually,  and  rich  discoveries  in  bank,  river,  and 
quartz  are  being  constantly  made ;  indeed,  the  country 
has  not  yet  beea  fairly  prospected  for  the  precious 
metals,  and  centuries  hence  will  find  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  dollars  of  gold  produced  from  the  mountains 
and  gulches  of  British  Columbia. 

For  stock-raising,  the  colony  has  many  advantages 
in  its  wide  ranges,  covered  with  nutritious  bunch-grass 
which  grows  luxuriantly,  and  its  well-sheltered  valleys 
and  hill-sides  rich  in  herbage  and  pasture  ;  and  in  the 
valleys  of  Bonaparte,  Thompson,  Nicola,  and  Frazer 
rivers,  more  than  twenty  thousand  head  of  cattle  run 
at  large  throughout  the  whole  year,  grazing  upon  the 
rich  natural  meadows  of  the  country. 

British  Columbia  is  well  watered  by  numerous  rivers, 
lakes,  and  creeks.  The  Frazer  river  is  the  chief  one 
of  the  colony.  It  has  its  source  high  in  the  western 
slope  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  close  to  the  fifty-fifth 
degree  of  north  latitude,  running  in  a  southerly  direc- 
tion until,  nearly  opposite  the  eastern  end  of  Vancouver 
island,  it  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  about  four- 


maii 

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BRITISH  COLUMBIA, 


^Z7 


the 


teen  miles  north  of  the  line  of  Washington  Territory, 
and  passes  into  the  Pacific  ocean.  This  river  is  more 
than  one  thousand  five  hundred  miles  from  its  source 
to  its  mouth,  and  is  navigable  for  large  steamers  for 
one  hundred  miles,  and  for  an  additional  hundred  miles 
for  steamers  of  light  draught;  but  its  course  is  gener- 
ally over  a  very  rough  country,  forming  falls  and  rapids ; 
and  the  melting  snoyirs  of  the  interior  so  swell  its  cur- 
rent that  at  times,  as  it  passes  over  its  precipitate  bed, 
and  through  deep,  dark,  and  narrow  gorges  in  the 
mountains,  it  is  fearful,  as  in  its  mad  career  it  forms 
eddies  and  whirlpools,  which  form  deep  holes,  roaring 
and  twirling  as  they  suck  down  large  floating  trees, 
whirling,  crashing,  and  tearing  limbs  and  bark  off. 
Such  periods  are  very  dangerous  for  small  boats  and 
canoes,  many  of  whicli  were,  during  the  eventful  gold 
excitement  of  1858-9,  with  their  whole  crews,  swallowed 
in  those  dreaded  whirlpools. 

The  material  growth  of  the  colony  is  not  yet  very 
great.  For  almost  a  century  the  country  has  been  the 
great  centre  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  an  English 
fur  company  of  great  magnitude  and  influence,  which 
maintained  their  trading -posts  from  Labrador  to  the 
Pacific  ocean,  and  still  hold  a  footing  in  the  country. 
At  Forts  Langley,  Hope,  and  Yale,  on  the  Frazer  river, 
and  at  Victoria,  Vancouver  island,  this  company  had 
maintained  villages  and  posts  of  importance  before  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  1858 ;  from  which  points,  by  steam- 
ers and  sail,  the  goods  for  traffic  with  the  Indians  found 
their  way  direct  from  London,  and  the  annual  and  valu- 
able cargo  of  furs  found  an  outlet  on  its  way  to  Eng- 
land. At  Victoria,  which  is  on  the  eastern  end  of  Van- 
couver island   the   Hudson   Bay  Company  had,  long 


6r.s 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


before  the  gold  excitement  of  1858-9,  laid  out,  upon  a 
beautifully  situated  elevation,  at  the  waters  of  the  har- 
bor of  Victoria,  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Victoria, 
now  the  capital  of  British  Columbia.  At  that  period, 
a  strong  fort,  with  upright  posts  of  large  hewn  logs,  of 
a  height  of  fifty  feet,  with  rifle-pits  and  mounted  guns, 
were  maintained  around  the  large  enclosure  containing 
the  officers*  quarters,  storehouses,  merchandise,  and 
furs ;  and  one  or  two  steamers  carried  on  the  business 
of  the  company  between  this  point  and  all  parts  of  the 
coast.  The  officers  of  the  company  here,  as  well  as 
throughout  the  whole  coast,  were  chiefly  Scotchmen, 
who  worked  their  way  overland  from  Canada  at  an 
early  day,  and,  in  their  long  sojourn  in  the  wilderness, 
had  married  and  intermarried  with  the  native  Indians; 
thus  at  once  securing  the  friendship  of  the  natives, 
facilitating  traffic,  and  adapting  the  family-circle  to  the 
primitive  order  of  life  in  their  new  rural  homes.  The 
late  Doctor  McLaughlin,  of  Oregon  City,  Oregon,  a 
gentleman  of  high  character  and  attainments,  so  long 
the  head-factor  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  on  the 
Pacific,  and  James  Douglass,  now  Sir  James  Douglass, 
long  head-factor  at  Victoria,  and  late  Governor  of  Van- 
couver island,  both  married  Indian  squaws  and  raised 
families,  who  were  educated  in  Europe,  and,  on  their 
return  to  their  forest  homes,  married  with  the  whites. 
I  do  not  know  of  a  single  case  where  any  of  the  officers 
or  employes  of  this  company  married  a  white  woman ; 
all  took  wives  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  coast  or 
interion 

Victoria,  in  1857,  had  a  population  of  about  one 
hundred  persons.  In  1858,  so  great  was  the  excitement 
respecting  the  gold  discoveries  on  Frazer  river  that 


is 

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BRITISH  COLUMBIA, 


639 


real  estate  in  San  Francisco  fell  more  than  a  hundred 
per  cent,  in  a  few  months,  and  great  depression  was 
experienced  throughout  California.  Four  or  five  large 
ocean-steamers  were  employed  to  their  utmost  capacity 
to  convey  passengers  and  freight  from  San  Francisco 
to  Victoria,  where  more  than  sixty  thousand  gold- hunters 
had  assembled  in  a  few  months,  and  the  city  of  Victoria 
assumed  scenes  of  excitement  equalled  only  by  San 
Francisco  in  1849.  The  whole  hill  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  old  Hudson  bay  fort  and  stores  was  for  miles  dotted 
with  tents,  as  if  a  great  army  had  invaded  the  land,  and 
tlie  great  steamers,  piles  of  goods,  large  booths  of  com- 
merce, drinking-saloons,  gambling-houses,  dance-houses, 
real  estate  and  merchandise  auctions,  with  the  excite- 
ment of  building  boats  and  buying  canoes,  (a  passage 
of  from  a  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  across  the  Gulf  of  Georgia,  and  thence  up  the 
Frazer  river,  had  to  be  made  before  the  mines  were 
reached,  and  this  in  small  open  boats,  most  perilous 
both  from  the  sea  and  the  hostile  Indians  from  the 
north,)  all  excited,  racing  to  and  fro,  carrying  boards, 
bundles,  mining-tools,  bedding,  provisions,  clothing, 
tents,  whiskey,  and  every  conceivable  article,  in  their 
mad  rush  alike  astonished  the  quiet  Hudson  bay  men, 
who  thought  the  whole  world  had  gone  mad,  and  the 
natives,  who,  awe-stricken,  saw  more  men  than  they 
thought  had  existed  in  the  whole  world.  After  a  while 
these  awe-stricken  Indians  began  to  learn  their  own 
power,  and  tribes  of  red-haired  savages  from  Queen 
Charlotte  island  and  the  whole  coast  came  down  in 
their  immense  wood  canoes,  (some  of  which  are  fifty 
and  sixty  feet  in  length,  of  the  finest  lines  of  a  clipper 
ship,  and  carrying  fifty  to  one  hundred  Indians,)  and. 


640 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


lying  in  wait  in  the  Strait  of  Fuca,  Bellingham  bay,  the 
Gulf  of  Georgia,  and  Frazer  river,  would  attack  small 
boats,  rob  them  of  their  valuables,  and  murder  all  on 
board.  Scores  of  these  deluded  gold-hunters,  in  1858-9, 
lost  their  lives  in  this  way,  to  say  nothing  of  the  loss 
by  small,  frail  boats  swamping  in  the  rough  waters  of 
the  gulf  and  in  Frazer  river.  The  Chinese  were  ob- 
jects of  hatred,  being  regarded  as  bad  Indians,  and  put 
to  death  at  every  opportunity.  Victoria  built  up  to  a 
city  of  ten  or  twelve  thousand  people,  in  1859,  but  soon 
the  miners  began  to  return  in  great  distress  and  poverty. 
Goods  in  Victoria  were  only  half  the  prices  they  had 
cost  in  San  Francisco;  real  estate  fell  five  hundred 
per  cent,  in  a  few  months ;  the  city  was  almost  depopu- 
lated, and  has  since  remained  a  city  of  emptiness,  with 
five  houses  empty  for  every  one  occupied.  It  now 
presents  a.  desolate  aspect,  with  but  little  prospect  of 
immediate  improvement.  The  population  is  about 
four  thousand,  nearly  half  of  whom  are  Americans. 
Churches,  schccis,  and  a  theatre  are  maintained;  and  a 
line  of  stearics  runs  regularly  between  San  Francisco 
and  Victoria,  and  also  between  Olympia,  Puget  sound, 
and  other  ports,  and  this  place.  The  harbor  at  Victoria 
is  small,  and  not  accessible  to  vessels  of  great  draught; 
but  about  four  miles  west  of  Victoria,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  island,  is  the  harbor  of  Esquimalt,  small, 
but  with  deep  water,  and  overhanging  with  dense  fir 
forests  and  rocks,  making  it  well  sheltered.  Here  all 
large  vessels,  as  well  as  the  ships  of  the  British  navy  in 
this  quarter,  enter.  Farther  west,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  island,  are  the  expansive  waters  of  Barclay  inlet, 
Nootka  sound,  and  other  harbors.  On  the  northeastern 
end  of  the  island,  a  litde  north  of  Victoria,  is  the  village 


Ir 

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tol 


EnJ 

of 

betj 

oftl 

thef 

of! 


BRITISH  CO  LI  MB  I  A. 


641 


louth 
lall, 
|e  fir 
•eall 
[vy  in 
side 
I  inlet, 
stern 
Tillage 


of  Nanaimo,  where  extensive  coal-mines  are  operated, 
the  product  of  which,  with  the  Bellingham  bay  coal  of 
Washington  Territory,  finds  a  market  in  San  Francisco 
and  other  sections  of  the  coast.  Between  the  east  end 
of  Vancouver  island  and  Puget  sound  is  the  small  island 
of  San  Juan,  of  little  importance  except  as  an  object  of 
contention  between  England  and  America  to  deter- 
mine the  water-line  through  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  and 
Strait  of  Fuca,  and  to  maintain  a  few  lazy  soldiers  of 
both  countries  in  the  "joint  occupancy"  of  the  island.* 

Victoria  is  a  free  port,  and  about  one  thousand 
vessels  enter  and  depart  annually.  All  this  section  of 
country — its  trade,  natural  wealth,  and  future  develop- 
ment— naturally  belong  to  the  great  port  of  Puget 
sound,  and  must  eventually  redound  to  the  direct  in- 
terest of  that  section  and  the  Northern  Pacific  railroad. 

The  population  of  the  colony  of  British  Columbia 
consists  of  about  ten  thousand  whites  and  fifty  thousand 
Indians,  half-breeds,  and  mixtures  between  Indians  and 
white  men.  The  chief  hunting  and  labor  about  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company's  establishment  are  done  by  the 
Indians.  Some  of  the  tribes  are  very  numerous  and 
powerful;  the  men  are  tall,  muscular,  and  large  boned, 
skin  about  copper  color,  and  long,  flowing  black  hair, 
except  that  some  of  the  tribes  from  the  far  northwest 
coast  and  Queen  Charlotte  island,  who  often  visit  Vic- 
toria in  large  canoes  with  their  freights  of  fish,  furs, 

*  On  the  24th  of  October,  1872,  the  Emperor  William,  of  Gennany,  jj  whom 
England  and  the  United  States  had  submitted  the  final  settlement  of  the  ownership 
of  San  Juan  island,  rendered  his  decision,  making  the  Canal  De  Haro  the  line 
between  British  Columbia  and  Washington  Territory ;  thus  establishing  the  title 
of  the  United  States  to  San  Juan  island.  And  on  the  22d  of  November,  1S72, 
the  British  troops  evacuated  the  island,  leaving  the  Americans  in  full  possession 
of  San  Juan. 


642  THE  GOLDEN  STA^^E, 

bone,  squaws,  pappooses,  and  wolf-dogs,  are  very 
light  colored,  with  smooth,  copper-colored  skin,  and 
flowing  hair,  quite  red.  Few  of  the  tribes  ever  molest 
the  employes  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  most  of 
whom  speak  the  language  of  the  natives  as  their  own, 
and  are  connected  by  marriage  with  some  of  the  tribes; 
but  with  Americans  and  others  they  ars  unreliable, 
deceitful,  and  murderous. 

About  Victoria,  Frazer  river,  and  all  parts  of  Puget 
sound,  are  found  numbers  of  the  Flathead  Indians. 
The  head  is  made  flat  while  the  child  is  young  by  Lish- 
ing  it  on  a  board  on  its  back  and  lashing  another 
boat  a  tight  over  the  forehead,  pressing  the  back  of  the 
head  and  the  front  above  the  eyebrows  Hat,  running  to 
a  broad,  sharp  point  at  the  top,  so  that,  if  they  put  on  a 
hat,  it  must  go  on  crosswise.  The  child  remains  on  the 
])oard  until  the  skull  forms  hard  in  its  shape.  God^ 
they  say,  wa«  Flathead. 

The  condition  upon  which  British  Columbia  entered 
the  Canadian  confederation  was,  that  the  latter  would, 
not  later  than  July,  1873,  commence  the  construction 
of  the  Canada  Pacific  railway,  connecting  the  lakes  and 
the  St.  Lawrence  river  with  the  Pacific  side  of  British 
Columbia;  which  road  will  be  about  2,700  miles  in 
length,  commencing  at  Lake  Nippung,  near  Gcorgiana 
bay,  and  must  be  completed  within  ten  years  after  its 
commencement.  The  government  of  Canatla  and  the 
government  of  British  Columbia  have  donated  to  this 
internatiohai  highway  of  the  north  la  ge  tracts  of  land, 
consisting  of  alternate  blocks  of  twe.ity  miles  iii  depth, 
along  the  line  of  the  road ;  besides  .his,  the  Dominion 
government  makes  an  appropriatior  of  twenty  million 
dollars. 


:s  m 
riana 
ter  its 
d  the 
lo  this 
land, 
lepth, 
linion 
tillion 


BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 


643 


In  addition  to  the  main  line,  two  branches  will  be 
built  —one  from  the  main  line  to  Lake  Superior,  and  one 
from  Manitoba  to  the  American  boundary,  where  a 
road  already  connects  with  Duluth,  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Superior.  The  Pacific  terminus  of  this  road  must  be 
on  the  narrow  tongue  of  land  between  the  Frazer  river 
and  the  northern  line  of  Washington  Territory,  at 
which  point  it  will  be  connected  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  railroad,  now  building;  and  that  Washington 
Territory  must  eventually  receive  more  direct  benefit 
from  this  Canadian  road  than  British  Columbia  must 
be  clear  to  all  familiar  with  the  geography  of  the  two 
sections. 

The  completion  of  the  Northern  Pacific  and  the 
Canadian  Pacific  railroads  will  open  up  the  rich  agri- 
cultural and  mineral  resources  of  the  vast  region  from 
the  great  lakes  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  inaugurate  new 
channels  of  commerce  and  new  organized  communities, 
soon  to  join  ia  the  union  of  States  from  the  Arctic  to 
the  Rio  Grande. 


644 


nJE   GOLDEN  STATE, 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


ALASKA. 


History — Geography — Area — Mountains — Forests — Rivers — Seas 
— Bays — Harbors — Islands — Climate — Seasons — Mi  le^ — Natives 


— Fisli  —  Animals — Fur-seals  —  Commerce — Po\  .''u: 
— Progress — Religion — Future  prospects. 


lowns 


AuASKA,  formerly  known  as  Russian  America,  em- 
braces the  extreme  northwestern  end  of  the  continent 
of  America ;  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Arctic  ocean 
and  on  the  west  by  the  Pacific  ocean  and  Behring 
strait,  which  separates  it  from  Siberia  and  Asiatic 
Russia,  from  which  at  the  narrowest  point  in  the 
strait  it  is  distant  but  about  twenty  miles.  On  the 
Arctic  side,  the  eastern  line  terminates  at  Demarkation 
Point  in  the  line  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty-fir -^t 
degree  of  west  longitude  from  Greenwich,  which  cc  rs'^, 
it  follows  south,  dividing  the  Territory  of  Alask,  1,  i/n 
British  Columbia  on  the  east,  until  it  reaches  Mo; ,  \, 
St.  Klias,  abo  Jt  sixty  miles  from  the  Pacific  ocean,  where 
it  turns  southeast,  and  in  an  irregular  line  follows  the 
course  of  the  coast,  leaving  a  belt  of  mountain  chain 
of  about  an  average  width  of  one  hundred  miles  and 
about  five  hundred  miles  in  length,  until  it  reaches  the 
one  hundred  and  thirtieth  degree  of  west  Ion.,;,  ude,  a 
little  north  of  Simpson  river,  and  enters  the.  T\->::»fic 
ocean  north  of  Graham  and  Queen  Charlotte  islands, 
thus  cutting  a  strip  of  about,  one  hundred  miles  in 
breadth  and  five  hundred  miles  Liijt  off  the  western 
shore  of  British  Columbia.  From  this  point,  in  a 
southwesterly  direction,  the  coast  line  of  Alaska  on  the 


JMAPoF 
BRGTI6H    irli!M 

COLOMIBIA  ;«r^-'*'^^ 

•Soolii  of  Miles 


where 
ws  the 

chain 

es  and 

ties  the 

ude,  a 

rsiart.ds, 
niles  in 
western 
It,   in   a 
1  on  the 


ALASKA. 


645 


Pacific  Is  a  succession  of  bays,  rivers,  sounds,  inlets, 
and  islands,  forming  a  chain  of  abrupt,  rugged,  irreg- 
ular coast  of  more  than  seventeen  thousand  miles  in 
extent  along  the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  following  all  the 
principal  inlets  and  island  lines  until  it  reaches  Behring 
strait.  Chief  among  the  islands  are  Prince  of  Wales, 
New  Archangel,  Sitka,  and  Kodiak,  all  east  of  the 
peninsula  of  Alaska,  and  the  extensive  groups  of 
islands  known  as  the  Aleutian  islands,  extending  through 
thirty  degrees  of  longitude,  and  reaching  almost  across 
the  Pacific  ocean  toward  Copper  and  Behring  islands 
on  the  Asiatic  coast  off  the  shore  of  Kamschatka. 
This  vast  chain  of  islands,  more  than  a  hundred  in 
number,  form  a  half-circle  to  the  north,  leaving  between 
it  and  Behring  strait,  Bristol  bay,  and  Behring  sea, 
into  which  empties  the  Great  Yukon,  one  of  the 
mightiest  rivers  on  the  American  continent,  carrying  in 
its  course  deposits  which  form  at  its  mouth  the  greatest 
moorland  in  America,  and  gradually  decreasing  the 
depth  of  water  in  Behring  sea.  In  the  semicircle 
formed  to  the  north  by  this  chain  of  islands,  and  twelve 
degrees  off  the  mouth  of  Bristol  bay  in  Behring  sea, 
are  the  islands  of  St.  George  and  St.  Paul,  so  famous 
for  their  valuable  fur-seals. 

This  terra  incognita  of  the  Northwest  is  yet  totally 
unexplored ;  and  although  its  coast  line  on  the  Pacific 
has  been  long  the  active  field  of  the  Russian  American 
Fur  Company,  and  the  whaling  fleets  of  the  United 
States,  and  more  recently  of  the  American  fur-seal 
Iiunters  and  fishermen  of  the  Pacific  coast,  but  little 
has  been  seen  of  the  vast  interior  region  of  this  country, 
embracing  an  area  of  more  \kidXiJive  hundred  tho:. sand 
square  miles. 


646 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  early  voyages  of  the  Russian  navigators,  Beh- 
ring,  Tschirikoff,  and  others,  and  the  occupation  of  the 
Aleutian  islands  and  the  mainland  by  Russian  merchants 
from  Eastern  Siberia,  had  given  title  of  the  country 
to  the  Russian  nation,  which,  by  treaty  with  Great 
Britain,  in  1825,  established  its  eastern  boundary  as 
now  defined.  Carteret,  Byron,  Willis,  La  Psrouse, 
Quadra,  Vancouver,  and  many  other  early  navigators, 
had  explored  the  coast  of  Alaska ;  and  the  famous  Cap- 
tain Cook,  in  his  voyage  round  the  world,  had  explored 
much  of  the  coast  and  many  of  the  islands  of  this 
remote  region.  So,  too,  the  search  for  the  lamented 
Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  party  drew  to  the  western 
shore  of  this  section  Moore,  Kellet,  Collison,  McClure, 
and  others,  who  have  familiarized  to  us  many  of  the 
important  points,  bays,  and  inlets  of  this  quarter,  as 
Point  Barrow,  Point  Franklin,  Icy  cape,  Cape  Lisburne, 
Point  Hope,  Kotsebue  sound.  Cape  Prince  of  Wales, 
Porte  Clarence,  Norton  sou,"»J,  Cape  Romanzov,  Cook 
straits,  and  Bristol  bay,  all  north  of  the  Alaska  penin- 
sula and  the  Aleutian  group. 

Alaska,  formerly  known  as  Russian  America,  had, 
from  its  discovery  by  the  early  Russian  navigators, 
been  in  the  possession  of  the  Russian  empire,  whose 
dominions  extend  throughout  so  vast  a  portion  of 
Europe  and  Asia.  On  the  i8th  of  October,  1867,  the 
government  of  the  United  States,  by  private  purchase, 
and  the  payment  of  seven  million  two  hundred  thou- 
sand doMars  in  gold,  received  at  Sitka,  from  the  com 
missioners,  formal  possession  and  acquired  title  to 
Alaska,  taking  all  the  rights  of  the  government  and 
the  control  of  the  people ;  leaving  to  the  latter,  how- 
ever, by  stipulation  of  the  30th  of  March,  1867,  the 


ALASKA. 


647 


right  to  remain  in  the  country  and  become  citizens  of 
the  new  republican  government  erected  over  the  late 
dominions  of  the  Czar  in  America,  or  to  return  to  the 
Russian  empire.    The  language  of  the  conditions  is : 

"The  inhabitants  of  the  ceded  Territory,  according  to  their 
choice,  reserve  their  natural  allegiance,  may  return  to  Russia  within 
three  years ;  but  if  they  should  prefer  to  remain  in  the  ceded  Ter- 
ritory, they  (with  the  exception  of  the  uncivilized  tribes)  shall  be 
admitted  to  the  enjoyment  of  all  the  rights,  advantages,  and  immu- 
nities of  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  shall  be  maintained  and 
protected  in  the  free  enjoyment  of  their  liberty,  property,  and 
religion.  The  uncivilized  tribes  will  be  subject  to  such  laws  and 
regulations  as  the  United  States  may  from  time  to  time  adopt  in 
regard  to  aboriginal  tribes  in  the  country." 

Thus  the  United  States,  in  the  possession  of  the  vast 
Territory  from  Behring  strait  and  the  Arctic  ocean  to 
British  Columbia  on  the  west,  and  from  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  south  and  east,  presses 
hard  its  British  neighbor  on  flank  and  rear;  and,  as  the 
imperial  eagles  of  the  Czar  took  flight  before  the  stars 
and  stripes  on  Alaska's  lonely  shores,  so  the  British 
lion,  before  the  advance  of  the  new  freedoms  of  the  re- 
public and  the  growing  power  and  progress  of  America, 
must  soon  leave  his  lair  and  join  in  the  new  order  of 
national  freedom,  ultimately  embracing  the  whole  con- 
tinent of  America  north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  with 
the  future  canal  of  Darien  as  the  southern  boundary 
of  the  republic. 

The  interior  of  Alaska  is  rough,  mountainous,  and 
wild  in  the  extreme.  The  great  range  of  the  Rocky 
mountains,  which,  from  Patagonia  to  the  Arctic  ocean, 
passes  through  the  whole  length  of  the  continent, 
reaches  the  Arctic  through  British  Columbia,  as  does  the 
Sierra  Nevada  range;  but  successions  of  jagged  peaks 


648 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


and  ranges  dot  the  country,  and  along  the  entire  coast 
of  the  Pacific  a  high  range  of  mountains,  from  eight  to 
ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  covered  with  dense 
forests  and  enveloped  in  snows  and  fogs,  lends  a  wild 
and  uninviting  aspect  to  the  country.  In  this  range 
stands  the  famous  Mount  St.  Elias,  in  latitude  60°  22' 
and  longitude  140°  54',  elevated  seventeen  thousand 
nine  hundred  feet,  overshadowing  every  mountain  in 
America  north  of  Popocatapetl,  Mexico.  Here,  too,  is 
situated  Mount  Fairweather,  fourteen  thousand  seven 
hundred  feet  in  height.  Both  these  mountains  are  clad 
in  perpetual  snow  and  are  seen  at  a  great  distance, 
standing  above  all  other  mountains  and  above  the  tall, 
dense  forests.  Both  these  mountains  indicate  marked 
evidence  of  their  unquenched  interior,  volcanic  forces. 
In  the  year  1839,  Mount  St.  Elias  emitted  volumes  of 
smoke,  and,  in  1847,  flames  and  ashes.  At  this  time 
there  was  a  general  volcanic  disturbance  of  the  earth 
on  the  whole  Pacific  coast  north  of  Mount  Baker,  and 
throughout  the  Aleutian  islands  evidences  of  the  for- 
mer existence  of  destructive  volcanoes  and  earthquakes 
are  still  apparent. 

Alaska  is  well  supplied  with  timber,  and  along  a 
great  portion  of  the  coast  are  valuable  forests  of  fir, 
oak,  ash,  cedar,  and  many  other  varieties.  The  cedar 
of  Alaska  grows  to  a  great  size,  and  is  superior  to 
almost  any  other  wood  in  cabinet  and  house  work. 
The  Aleutian  chain  and  all  the  other  islands  north  of 
the  peninsula  of  Alaska  are  destitute  of  forest  or  other 
trees,  the  natives  building  their  huts  of  mud  and  stone, 
and  using  for  fuel  bone  and  the  stray  driftwood  they 
pick  up  upon  the  shores,  and  building  their  canoes  of 
skins. 


attr 
Alol 
pro] 
is 


ALASKA, 


649 


Rivers  of  great  extent  and  dashing  streams  course 
from  the  interior  mountains,  and  find  their  way,  through 
rough  gulches  and  long  valleys,  to  the  Pacific  and  Arc- 
tic oceans.     The  Yukon,  one  of  the  greatest  rivers 
on  the  American  continent,  has  its  source  in  British 
Columbia,  in  longitude  one  hundred  and  thirty  west,  and 
with  its  ten  mouths  empties  into  Behring  sea  near  Nor- 
ton sound,  in  the  sixty-fifth  degree  of  west  longitude ; 
and,  in  its  serpentine  course,  is  more  than  four  thousand 
five  hundred  miles  in  length,  often  swelling  to  four  and 
even  ten  miles  in  width  in  its  numerous  arms,  dotted 
with  islands,  and  is, navigable  for  many  thousand  miles 
from  its  mouth.     The  Meloze,  Porcupine,  Nulato,  and 
other  streams  ol  magnitude  empty  into  the  Yukon.     A 
great  part  of  the  Yukon  passes  through  a  low^country, 
and  broad,  low  valleys,  with  willows,  shrubs,  and  rich 
meadows  of  fine  pasture-ranges,  skirt  it  on  either  side, 
where  vast  herds  of  deer  graze  throughout  the  year. 
South  of  the  Yukon  is  the  Kouskoquim  river,  with  its 
numerous  branches,  extending  three  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  into  the  interior ;  and  south  of  the  Aleutian  penin- 
sula are  a  number  of  rivers  of  considerable  magnitude, 
with  interior  valleys  and  rich  forests.     The  Suschina, 
emptying  into  Cook's  inlet,  is  more  than  two  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  in  length,  and  the  Copper  river  over 
two  hundred  miles ;  and  the  Stekin,  whose  mouth  is 
directly  east  of  the  island  of  Sika,  extends  into  British 
Columbia  three  hundred  miles. 

So  far  as  yet  ascertained,  Alaska  possesses  but  little 
attractions  for  immigrants  or  capacity  for  agriculture. 
Along  the  Pacific  coast  some  small  valleys  which  will 
produce  vegetables,  oats,  and  barley,  are  found ;  but  it 
is  all   far  north  of  the  line  where  wheat-growing  or 


C50 


THE  COLDLN  STATE. 


general  agriculture  could  be  successfully  prosecuted. 
The  summer  seasons  are  short,  damp,  and  cloudy,  the 
rainfall  at  Sika  and  vicinity  being  about  ninety  inches 
per  annum,  the  greatest  in  any  part  of  the  world ;  As- 
toria, Oregon,  comes  next  with  an  annual  fall  of 
seventy-eight  inches.  From-  Behring  strait  to  the 
eastern  line  of  Alaska,  on  the  sea-coast,  but  little  snow 
falls;  and  although  a  portion  of  this  range  is  as  far  north 
as  Greenland,  yet  the  warm  currents  and  winds  from 
Asia  so  modify  the  climate  that  in  many  portions  of  the 
low  valleys  vegetation  is  green  all  winter,  and  cattle 
could  live  at  large  without  the  aid  of  man  \laska  is 
particularly  valuable  for  its  forests  of  val  ^  timber, 
mines  yet  to  be  developed — coal,  gold,  silver,  copper, 
and  other  minerals — its  game,  and  inland  and  water 
fur-bearing  animals,  and  its  valuable  and  vast  fishing 
interests. 

Throughout  the  whole  interior,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Yukon  and  other  rivers,  and  the  islands,  the  Russian 
American  Fur  Company — ^a  large  body  of  Russian 
merchants,  incorporated  by  royal  authority  in  1 799 — 
has  built  its  posts,  and  for  almost  a  century  prosecuted 
a  most  extensive  and  profitable  fur- trade.  (The  com- 
pany eiiisted  many  years  before  its  incorporation.) 
Martin,  sable,  mink,  otter,  beaver,  and  other  furs  ob- 
tained, abound  in  the  interior,  and  sea-otter  and  the 
valuable  fur-seal  are  found  on  the  islands  and  coast. 
Some  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  Russian  American  Fur 
Company  may  be  learned  from  the  fact  that  two  large 
steamers,  several  small  ones,  eight  brigs  and  barques, 
and  numerous  small  boats,  were  constantly  employed, 
and  about  ten  thousand  Russians,  Aleuts,  and  Esqui- 
maux were  engaged  on  the  coast  and  isla^ids,  and  six 


IS 

cauK 
in 


\ 


ALASKA. 


651 


thousand  Koloschlans  engaged  in  trafificking  with  the 
interior  tribes  for  this  company.  The  annual  produc- 
tions of  the  company  amounted  to  more  tlian  a  million 
dollars. 

The  islands  of  St.  George  and  St.  Paul,  in  57°  north, 
longitude  1 70°  west,  off  the  mouth  of  Bristol  bay,  in 
Behring  sea,  are  the  resort  of  the  fur-seal,  so  long  so 
valuable  a  source  of  profit  to  the  Russian  American 
Fur  Company,  and  now,  by  act  of  Congress,  made  a 
source  of  revenue  to  the  federal  .government.  By  this 
act,  approved  July  i,  1070,  the  government  grants  to 
the  Alaska  Commercial  Company,  composed  of  capital- 
ists of  San  Francisco  and  New  York,  the  exclusive 
right  to  take  fur-seal  on  the  islands  of  St.  George  and 
St.  Paul  for  the  term  of  twenty  years,  from  the  i  st  of 
May,  1870,  at  an  annual  rent  of  fifty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  a  tax  or  duty  of  two  dollars  and  sixty-two  and 
a  half  cents  on  each  skin  sold  or  shipped,  and  fifty-five 
cents  on  each  gallon  of  seal  oil,  with  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dried  salmon  and  other  articles  annually  to  the 
natives.  The  number  of  skins  collected  annually  is 
restricted  to  one  hundred  thousand,  which  must  be  taken 
during  the  months  of  June,  July,  September,  and  Oc- 
tober of  each  year.  Provision  is  made,  however,  for 
the  natives  of  the  islands  being  housed,  clothed,  fed, 
and  educated,  and  for  their  taking,  at  all  seasons,  such 
seals  for  food  or  clothing  as  may  be  necessary.  The 
late  Major-General  Thomas,  in  his  official  report  on  his 
visiting  St.  Paul  and  St.  George  in  1869,  said: 

*'  The  number  of  seals  on  the  islands,  after  the  young  are  bom, 
is  estimated  all  the  way  from  five  to  fifteen  million ;  but  they  are 
countless,  lying  in  the  rookeries,  covering  hundreds  0/ acres,  like  sheep 
in  a  fen.** 


652 


THE   GOLDEK  STATE. 


The  habits  of  these  seals  are  peculiar.  About  the 
last  of  April,  or  early  part  of  May,  the  old  male  seals 
come  from  the  south,  and  land  upon  St.  George  and 
St.  Paul,  (the  only  islands  inhabited  by  them.)  After 
thoroughly  examining  the  coast  and  interior  of  the 
islands  for  several  days,  soon  millions  begin  to  arrive, 
and,  forming  themselves  into  families,  or  colonies,  led 
by  the  old  males,  they  slowly  make  their  way  to  the 
rookeries  or  secluded  portions  of  the  interior.  The 
able-bodied  males  form  a  circle,  inside  of  which  they 
guard  the  females,  keeping  the  young  and  the  super- 
annuated males  on  the  outside.  The  object  seems  to 
be  to  protect  the  females  and  their  young.  Fierce  bat- 
tles ensue  between  the  guardians  of  the  families,  and 
also  with  them  and  the  old  and  young  male  seals  kept 
on  the  outer  circle. 

Under  the  regulations  of  killing  these  seals,  only  the 
young  and  old  males  on  the  outer  circle  are  taken. 
The  native  hunters,  armed  with  clubs,  make  their  way 
along  the  outer  circle  of  the  families,  and  drive  toward 
the  interior  the  males  on  the  outside  of  the  families. 
Sometimes  they  drive  them  one  or  two  miles;  here, 
out  of  the  r?,nge  of  the  families,  chey  slaughter  them  by 
striking  them  on  the  head  with  their  clubs,  secure  all 
the  skins  they  can,  and  return  the  next  day,  to  repeat 
the  same  operation,  until  the  do^ired  supply  is  obtained. 
The  old  males  still  keep  guard  over  the  females  and 
their  young  until  the  young  are  able  to  take  to  the 
M^ater  freely,  when  all  make  for  the  shore  and  sport  on 
the  rocks  and  in  the  waters,  all  mingling  again  indis- 
criminately, and  remaining  on  the  islands  and  on  their 
shores  until  September  or  October,  when  suddenly 
they  head  south,  abandon  the  islands,  and  are  seen  no 


n 


T. 

O 


> 


=  1; 


''!;;;^:i  arii  iBP'^Hjifif 


^■■mm..-' 


I 


'I 
IRi'" 


ALASKA. 


653 


more  until  the  following  spring,  when,  as  before,  they 
repeat  their  family  gatherings  and  births  in  the  rook- 
eries ot  St.  Paul  and  St.  George.  It  is  not  known  where 
they  go  nor  whence  they  come :  doubtless  they  seek 
refuge  in  some  of  the  islands  off  the  Asiatic  coast. 

The  fur  of  these  seals  is  very  dark,  fine,  soft,  and 
leautiful,  like  the  finest  black  silk  velvet,  with  a 
golden  shade  toward  the  skin.  Long,  coarse  gray  hairs 
stand  out  above  this  fine  coat,  and  all  skins  are  pick- 
elled,  sent  to  London,  England,  (the  only  part  of  the 
world  where  they  are  dressed,)  where,  by  a  process  of 
operating  on  the  flesh  side,  all  the  long  hairs  are  ex- 
tracted, and  the  skins  dressed,  leaving  a  soft,  beautiful 
plush  of  great  value  and  highly  prized. 

Considering  the  crreat  importance  of  the  whale, 
walrus,  sea-otter,  sr  on,  cod,  and  other  fisheries  of 
Alaska,  and  the  needed  development  of  the  r(  sources 
of  the  country,  both  the  constuuHonality  and  the  cqtdty 
of  the  national  government  giving  absolute  and  exclusive 
control  of  the  islands  of  St.  George  and  St,  P..L1I.  dieir 
valuable  fur-seals  and  inhabitants,  into  the  liands  of  a 
few  capitalists,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  citizens  of 
the  republic,  may  well  be  seriously  questic^ed.  The 
fur  seal-skins  which  a  few  years  since  cm'  be  bought 
of  the  natives  of  the  Aleutian  islands  for  a  dollar  apiece 
are  now  sold  when  dressed,  throughout  the  United 
States,  at  tiventy-five  dollars  each  and  upwards. 

The  fur-seal  of  Alaska  is  not  found  in  any  other 
part  of  America.  The  seal  so  numerous  off  the  coast 
of  Newfoundland  and  vicinity,  taken  on  the  ice  by 
fleets  of  steamers  and  vessels  annually,  are  the  common 
hair  seal,  brown  and  spotted — the  skin  and  oil  of  each 
being  worth  only  about  three  dollars. 


654 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


The  population  of  /ilaska  is  estimated  at  fifty  thou- 
sand, less  than  two  thousand  of  whom  are  white.  On 
the  cession  of  the  country  to  the  United  States  nearly 
all  the  Russian  population  left  the  country  for  St. 
Petersburg  and  Siberia ;  but  a  few,  however,  still  remain 
in  the  country.  The  Indian  tribes  composing  the  popu- 
lation are  numerous,  but  are  generally  of  a  docile  and 
submissive  nature.  So  long  have  they  been  under  the 
dominion  of  the  Russian  American  Fur  Company  and 
the  Greek  church  priests,  chat  submission  has  become 
a  fixed  part  of  their  conduct.  Few  locate  permanently, 
but  in  the  interior  live  by  the  chase,  and  on  the  coast 
are  largely  employed  in  killing  walrus,  sea-otter,  fur- 
seals,  and  fish.  On  the  coast  and  islands  they  all  be- 
long to  the  Greek  church,  and  Russian  and  native 
priests  attend  to  their  spiritual  wants  and  afford  them 
some  degree  of  education.  The  physical  type  and 
social  qualities  of  the  Japanese  are  strongly  marked  in 
many  of  the  coast  natives,  from  whom  many  of  them, 
doubtless,  have  descended.  The  islands  are  generally 
barren  rocks  with  but  scant  timber  or  vegetation,  the 
natives  living  chiefly  on  rye  and  coarse  bread  furnished 
them  by  the  fur-seal  companies,  seal-meat,  and  fish. 
The  Alaska  Commercial  Company  in  possession  of  St. 
-George  and  St.  Paul  have  made  some  effort  to  main- 
tain schools  among  the  natives;  but  whether  or  not 
the  condition  of  the  natives  (so  called)  under  this 
monopoly  is  not  a  species  of  slavery  of  American  citi- 
zens is  a  sub  ect  worthy  the  closest  investigation  and 
study  of  the  national  government. 

So  far,  no  towns  of  any  importance  have  been  built 
in  Alaska.  Sitka,  known  as  New  Archangel,  a  little 
village  of  a  dozen  frail  tenements,  was  the  ancient 


or 

unc 

of 

sigr 

dilal 

hou] 

old 

and  I 

chui 

an  ul 

lect,[ 

troo 


ALASKA. 


655 


lent 


head-quarters  of  the  Russians  in  Russian  America.  It 
is.  built  on  one  of  the  islanc^s  of  the  coast,  about  nine 
degrees  north  of  Queen  Charlotte  island,  in  the  group 
discovered  by  Tschirikofif,  Behring's  associate,  in  1741. 
It  is  geographically  situated  in  latitude  57°  2'  45"  north, 
longitude  135°  if  10"  west,  and,  although  so  far  north, 
the  weather  is  never  cold,  the  thermometer  rarely 
marking  lower  than  20°  above  Fahrenheit.  The  town 
is  built  on  a  low  belt  of  land  close  to  the  shore,  with 
the  residence  of  the  former  Russ'an  governor,  a  clumsy 
wooden  building,  standing  upon  a  rock  about  one  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  other  houses.  The  country  in  the 
vicinity  is  a  succession  of  high  hills  densely  wooded,  and 
snow-capped  mountains.  On  Crooze  island,  opposite 
the  town,  is  Mount  Edgcumbe,  an  extinct  volcano,  rising 
eight  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 

Sitka  has  made  no  progress  in  the  last  half  century 
and  with  the  exception  of  a  few  soldiers,  and  the  United 
States  custom  officers,  a  few  traders  and  Indians,  and 
the  old  Russian  Greek  church,  there  is  little  to  indicate 
setdement.  There  are  no  roads,  either  on  the  islands 
or  mainland.  The  country  has  not  yet  been  organized 
under  a  territorial  government,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  fishing  interest  being  developed,  there  are  litde 
signs  of  material  improvement;  and  Sitka,  with  its 
dilapidated  wharf,  ancient  Russian  fort,  old  storehouses, 
houses  painted  yellow  with  iron  roofs  painted  red,  the 
old  Russian  hulks  of  ships  on  the  shore  propped  up 
and  roofed  over,  and  the  green  dome  of  the  old  Greek 
church,  with  a  few  lounging  soldiers  and  sleepy  officers, 
an  unemployed  "collector,"  who  has  no  customs  to  col- 
lect, an  empty  post-office,  bauds  of  half-nude  Indians, 
troops  of  wolf-dogs,  and  niftety  inches  of  rain  per  annum, 


656  THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 

makes  Sitka,  as  a  place,  very  desirable  to  leave.  A 
newspaper,  TLe  Alaska  Herald,  (supposed  to  be  pub- 
lished in  Alaska,)  intended  to  represent  the  interests 
of  Alaska  and  Siberia  and  the  North  Pacific  coast  gen- 
erally, is  issued  at  San  Francisco.  There  are  four  post- 
offices  in  Alaska — one  at  Fort  Tongass,  one  at  Fort 
Wrangel,  one  at  Kodiak,  and  one  at  Sitka.  A  steamer 
runs  between  San  Francisco  and  Sitka,  a  distance  of 
about  one  thousand  six  hundred  miles,  making  a  trip 
once  a  month ;  and  vessels  leave  San  Francisco  occa- 
sionally for  this  port,  which  has,  during  the  past  twenty 
years,  supplied  California  with  ice,  this  being  the  only 
point  south  of  that  place  on  the  coast  where  ice  could 
be  obtained.  Since  the  building  of  railroads  in  Cali- 
fornia, however,  the  lakes  in  the  Sierras  supply  the 
greater  part  of  the  ice  used  in  California. 

The  extent  and  value  of  the  fishing  interests  of  the 
newly  acquired  territory  are  very  great.  Off  the  coast, 
besides  the  valuable  fur-seals,  vast  banks  of  cod  and 
halibut,  extending  over  an  area  of  thirty  thousand 
square  miles,  exist  in  the  eastern  section  of  Behring 
sea  and  about  the  Aleutian  islands  and  the  Kodiak 
group  ;  and  of  late  years  fleets  of  fishing  vessels  leave 
San  Francisco  in  June  of  each  year,  and  take  cargoes 
of  cod  and  halibut  in  these  waters  and  in  the  waters  on 
the  Asiatic  coast  along  the  line  of  Siberia,  all  the  way 
from  Plover  bay  to  the  Ochotsk  sea.  In  this  latter  region, 
and  along  the  coast  of  Kamschatka  at  Petropaulovski, 
and  even  in  the  region  of  the  Amoor  river,  fishermen 
and  traders  from  California  extend  their  operations; 
and  among  a  class  of  active,  industrious,  and  in  many 
cases  prosperous  people  resident  in  these  quarters, 
find  hearty  welcome  and  reciprocity  in  trade.    This 


NATIVES   HOUSEBUILDING,   ALASKA. 


SKIN  CANDE   AND    INDIANS,    ALASKA. 


re 

P» 
of 

fa' 

pr 

of 

ha 

wii 

rei 

Ar 


Nc 

Ea 

hoi 

ofi 

Th( 

Arc 

Am 

the 

cod 

one 

seas 

the 

Ir 

now 

its  M 

nort 

Pacil 

ships 

the  I 

wela 

the/ 


ALASKA. 


657 


region,  so^asy  of  access  to  the  commerce  and  enter- 
prise of  the  Pacific  coast,  but  so  remote  from  the  seat 
of  power  of  the  Czar  at  St.  Petersburg,  has  long  been  a 
favorite  prison  for  political  offenders;  consequently  the 
present  population  is  made  up  in  great  part  of  men 
of  education,  skill,  and  ambition,  and  in  their  new  homes 
have  lost  none  of  their  hatred  of  monarchy,  and  catch 
with  eager  hope  every  ray  of  liberty  cast  upon  their 
remote  shores  by  the  flag  that  gives  freedom  to  all  in 
America. 

The  development  of  Alaska  will  not  begin  until  the 
Northern  Pacific  railroad  connects  Puget  sound  with  the 
East,  and  a  thrifty  and  numerous  population  find  their 
homes  in  the  great  cities  yet  to  be  built  on  the  shores 
of  the  magnificent  inland  sea  of  Washington  Territory. 
Then  the  whaling  fleets  of  the  North  Pacific  and  the 
Arctic  will  winter  in  Puget  sound,  and  vast  fleets  of 
American  vessels  will  draw  from  the  shores  of  Alaska 
the  hidden  treasures  of  the  deep — whale,  walrus,  seal, 
cod,  halibut,  and  salmon.  Mines  ot  gold  and  silver, 
once  exhausted,  never  recuperate:  the  treasures  of  the 
seas  are  never  diminished,  but  annually  multiplied  as 
the  leaves  of  the  forests. 

In  the  rich  treasure-vaults  of  the  deep,  where,  on  the 
now  lonely  shores  of  Alaska,  the  illusive  mirage  paints 
its  wondrous  panorama,  and  the  aurora  borealis  lights 
northern  skies,  will  the  future  populous  cities  of  the 
Pacific  draw  untold  wealth,  and  fleets  of  American 
ships  find  employment;  and  on  the  placid  waters  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  will  the  American  seaman  find  a 
welcome  refuge  from  the  gales  and  winter  frosts  of 
the  Atlantic  seaboard. 
43 


658 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CHAPTER  XL. 


APPENDIX. 

Population  of  the  United  States :  native,  foreign,  colored,  and  Chinese — Popula- 
tion of  the  Pacific  coast :  native,  foreign,  and  Chinese — Population  by  counties 
of  California,  Oregon,  Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  Idaho,  Washington  Territory : 
also,  aggregate  of  Alaska  and  British  Columbia — Chinese  in  the  United  States 
and  on  the  Pacific  coast — Distances  from  San  Francisco  to  various  points 
inland  and  to  various  ports  and  countries  and  cities  of  the  United  States. 

POPULATION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES— 1870, 

Including  all  the  States  and  Territories.  Aggregate,  38,555,983. 
Native,  32,989,434;  foreign,  5,566,546;  colored,  4,880,009 ;  Chi- 
nese, 63,149;  Japanese,  55. 

POPULATION  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST, 

Embracing  California,  Oregon,  Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  Idaho, 
Washington  Territory,  British  Columbia,  and  Alaska.  Aggregate, 
841,059.  Native,  exclusive  of  British  Columbia  and  Alaska, 
539,467;  foreign,  exclusive  of  British  Columbia  and  Alaska, 
289,652;  Chinese  on  the  Pacific  coast,  exclusive  of  British  Co- 
lumbia and  Alaska,  and  embracing  Montana,  60,765;  in  the  re- 
mainder of  the  whole  Union,  2,389. 


POPULATION  OF  CALIFORNIA— 1870. 

Total,  560,247.  Native,  350,416;  foreign,  209,831. 
Representing  the  States  and  countries  as  follows : 
Native — Alabama,  1,257;  Arkansas,  2,396;  California,  163,653; 
Connecticut,  2,977;  Delaware,  408;  Florida,  134;  Georgia, 
1,024;  Illinois,  10,689;  Indiana,  5,190;  Iowa,  5,367;  Kansas, 
279;  Kentucky,  6,605;  Louisiana,  1,979;  Maine,  11,261;  Mary- 
land, 2,596;  Massachusetts,  15,334;  Michigan,  3,032;  Minne- 
sota, 461;  Mississippi,  994;  Missouri,  16,050;  Nebraska,  237; 
Nevada,  1,089;  New  Hampshire,  2,720;  New  Jersey,  2,598  ;  New 
York,  33,766;  North  Carolina,  1,640;  Ohio,  12,735;  Oregon, 
2,471;  Pennsylvania,  11,208;  Rhode  Island,  7,419;  South  Caro- 
lina, 851;  Tennessee,  4,686;  Texas,  1,886;  Vermont,  3,500; 
Virginia  and  West  Virginia,  5,293  ;  Wisconsin,  3,088  ;  Alaska,  28  ; 
Arizona,  93 ;  Colorado,  60 ;  Dakota,  7 ;  District  of  Columbia, 
458;  Idaho,  84;  Indian  Territory,  19;  Montana,  65;  New  Mexico, 
175;  Utah,  850;  Washington,  206;  Wyoming,  21.     Colored,  4,272 


Mem 

Merc 

Mon( 

Mom 

Napa 

Neva 

Place, 

Plum 

Sacra 

San 

San  I 

San 

San 

San  I 

San  \ 

Santu 


POPULATION  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 


659 


The  foreign  population  represents  the  nations  of  the  earth  as 
follows:  Africa,  48;  Asia,  56;  Atlantic  islands,  943 j  Australia, 
i>S93J  Austria,  1,078;  Belgium,  291;  Bohemia,  90;  Canada, 
6>977>  China,  48,823;  New  Brunswick,  1,170;  Newfoundland, 
72  ;  Nova  Scotia,  1,438  ;  Prince  Edward  island,  54  ;  British  Amer- 
ica, (not  specified,)  949;  Central  America,  124;  Cuba,  45  ;  Den- 
mark, 1,837;  France,  8,068;  Germany,  28,700 — as  follows:  Baden, 
2,143;  Bavaria,  2,547;  Brunswick,  61  ;  Hamburg,  934 ;  Hanover, 
2,555;  Hessen,  1,500;  Lubec,  12;  Mecklenburg,  95  ;  Nassau,  49 ; 
Oldenburg,  no;  Prussia,  (not  specified,)  14,782;  Saxony,  622; 
Weimer,  9;  Wurtemburg,  1,461  ;  Germany,  (not  specified,)  2,820; 
England,  17,699;  Ireland,  54,421;  Scotland,  4,949;  Wales,  1,517; 
Greece,  97:  Greenland,  i  ;  Holland,  452;  Hungary,  102;  India, 
63;  Italy,  4,660;  Japan,  33  ;  Luxemburg,  11;  Malta,  5;  Mexico, 
9,309;  Norway,  1,000;  Pacific  islands,  93;  Poland,  804;  Por- 
tugal, 2,507;  Russia,  540;  Sandwich  islands,  279;  South  America, 
1,94.0;  Spain,  405;  Sweden,  1,944;  Switzerland,  2,927;  Turkey, 
17;  West  Indies,  340. 

POPULATION  OF  CALIFORNIA  BY  COUNTIES— 1870. 


3; 
ia, 

isas. 


jon, 
:aro- 
500; 

28; 
ibia, 
lico, 

272 


COUNTIBS. 


O 

H 


a 

rt 


o 


■a 


o 
U 


B 

n 

c 


Countv-Skat. 


Alameda 

Alpine 

Amador 

Butte 

Calaveras , 

Colusa 

Contra  Costa 

Del  Norte 

El  Dorado , 

Fresno •• 

Humboldt 

Inyo 

Kern 

Klamath 

Lake 

I..issen 

Los  Angeles 

Marin 

Mariposa 

Mendocino 

Merced 

Mono 

Monterey 

Napa 

Nevada  

Placer 

Plumas 

Sacramento 

San  Bernardino... 

San  Diego 

San  Francisco.... 

San  Joaouin 

San  Luis  Obispo . . 

San  Mateo 

Santa  Barbara . . . . 


24,».17 

14,382 

9,855 

22,106 

86 

III 

685 

48s 

200 

676 

1 

.... 

9,582 

5.440 
7.428 

4. '33 

7,870 

•i"- 

..  .  .   ; 

".403 

3.975 

9,'85 

84 

40 

8,895 

4,677 

4,2.8 

7.400 

45 

18 

.6,165 

5,088 

'.077 

5,389 

81 

424 

8,461 

5,79' 

2,670 

8,271 

21 

9 

2,032 

',580 

442 

1,009 

32 

774 

10,309 

6,287 

4,022 

8,589 

'33 

6 

6,336 

4,972 

',364 

3,259 

IS 

2,635 

6,140 

4,646 

1,494 

6,ojs 

.... 

76 

1.956 

1,164 

792 

1,608 

87 

332 

2.925 

2,157 

768 

2,193 

4 

58  ■? 

1,674 

783 

891 

1,069 

3 

61 

2,969 

2,483 

486 

2,825 

8 

'7 

1,327 

1,178 

'49 

1,309 

.... 

I 

15,309 

10,984 

4,325 

14,720 

134 

219 

6,903 

3,761 

3,142 

6,394 

22 

126 

4,572 

2,192 

2,380 

3.344 

116 

8 

7.545 

6,146 

',399 

6,865 

9 

542 

2,807 

2,196 

611 

2,548 

37 

36 

430 

30s 

125 

386 

.... 

2 

9,876 

7,670 

2,206 

9.428 

»5 

203 

7,»63 

5,394 

'.769 

6,725 

113 

66 

19, '34 

10,479 

8,655 

'6,334 

162 

9 

11,357 

6,167 

5.190 

8.850 

99 

I 

4,489 

2,414 

2,075 

3.57' 

3 

5 

26,830 

16,228 

10,6o2 

22,725 

^1 

38 

3,988 

3,328 

660 

3'g^J 

.... 

495' 

3,743 

1,208 

4,838 

'S 

38 

149,473 

75,753 

?3,72o 

136,059 

',34' 

55 

21,050 

14,824 

6,226 

19,192 

230 

.  ..  .    ! 

4,772 

3,833 

939 

4,567 

9 

137 

6,635 

3.497 

3, '38 

6,099 

10 

7 

7,784 

6,538 

1,246 

7,483 

109 

163 

l,9i3 

8 

1,641 

2,094 

1,432 

271 

160 

217 

1,581 

427 

39 

29 

143 

542 

110 

17 
336 
361 
1,104 
129 
186 

42 

130 

260 

2,629 

2,407 

3,598 
16 

70 

12,018 

1,628 

59 

5'9 

29 


San  Leandro. 

Silver  Mountain. 

Jackson. 

Oroville. 

San  Andreas, 

Colusa. 

Martinez. 

Crescent  Citv. 

Placerville. 

Millerton. 

Eureka. 

Independence. 

Havilah. 

Orleans  Bar. 

I/akeport. 

Susanville. 

Los  Angeleti 

San  Rafael. 

Mariposa. 

Ukiah. 

Snelling. 

Iiridt;eport. 

Monterey. 

Napa  City. 

Nevada  City. 

Auburn. 

Quincy. 

Sacramento. 

San  Bernardino. 

Sa:i  Diego. 

San  Francisco. 

Stockton. 

San  Luis  Obispo. 

Redwood  City. 

Santa  Barbara. 


660  THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 

POPULATION  OF  CALIFORNIA  BY  COUNTIES— C<>«/i»f«*«/. 


COUNTIBS. 


•a 

'A 


(2 


i 


CoimTY-S«AT. 


Santa  Clara. 
Santa  Crui.. 

Shasta 

Sierra 

Siskiyou. ... 

Solano 

Sonoma . . . . 
Stanislaus  .. 

Sutter 

Tehama.... 

Trinity 

Tulare 

Tuolumne... 

Yolo 

Yuba 

Totals 


26,346 
8,743 
4.«73 
5.619 
6,848 
16,871 
19,819 

6,499 
5.030 
3,587 
3.a«3 
4,5»i 
8,150 

9.899 
10,851 


560,333 


«7.a4" 
6.758 
a.937 
3,8i6 

4.3" 
11,363 
15,656 
5."47 
3.949 
a.834 
1,398 
3,967 
4,183 
7,778 
6,144 


9,005 
1,985 
1,336 
3,803 

5.608 
4,»63 

i,35» 
1,081 

1,815 

3,968 

3,131 

4.707 


34.537 

8.53« 
3.529 
4.781 
5,3" 
«5.87' 
19,184 
6,189 

4.79» 
3,166 
».95o 
4,379 
6.540 

8.367 


'79 
S3 
44 
39 

3* 

t 

4 

3« 

146 

39 

^ 

69 

I5« 


13 

3 
36 

47 
8^ 


»39 
4 
3 

117 


1,518 
156 

1,457 
919 

306 
308 
375 

»,o95 
99 

».539 
39» 

a.333 


San  Jose, 

Santa  Cruz. 

Shasta. 

DownieviU*. 

Yr«ka. 

Fairfield. 

Santa  Rosa. 

Modesto. 

Yuba  City. 

Red  BluC 

Weaverville. 

Visalia. 

Sonoi.i. 

Woodland. 

Marysville. 


350,393 


309,830 


499.3»4 


4,611 


7,059    49.»»9 


POPULATION  OF  OREGON— 1870. 

Total,  90,923.     Native,  79,323;  foreign,  11,600. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows: 

Native — Arkansas,  491;  California,  1,674;  Connecticut,  263; 
Illinois,  4,722;  Indiana,  3,451;  Iowa,  3,695;  Kentucky,  2,387; 
Maine,  676;  Maryland,  330;  Massachusetts,  756;  Michigan,  466 ; 
Missouri,  7,061;  New  Hampshire,  219;  New  York,  3,092;  North 
Carolina,  457;  Ohio,  4,031;  Oregon,  36,932;  Pennsylvania,  1,921 ; 
Tennessee,  1,544;  Vermont,  432 ;  Virginia,  1,447  >  Wisconsin,  434; 
Idaho,  144;  Washington,  592.     Colored,  346. 

Foreign — China,  '3,326;  Canada,  877;  Nova  Scotia,  86;  British 
America,  (not  specified,)  124;  France,  308;  Germany,  1,875; 
England,  1,347;  Ireland,  1,967;  Scotland,  394;  Italy,  31;  Mexico, 
51;  Norway,  76;  Poland,  65 ;  Portugal,  48;  Russia,  67;  Sweden, 
205 ;  Switzerland,  160. 


COUNTIB 

Baker 

Benton. . . 
Clackamas 
Clatsop. . . 
Columbia. 

Coos 

Curry 

Douglas... 

Grant 

Jackson..., 


TOTAIS. 


2,804 
4,584 

S»993 

i»255 

863 

1,644 

504 
6,066 
2,251 
4,778 


Nativx. 

1,757 

4,341 

5,436 

952 

744 

1,255 

426 

5,684 

1,001 

3,721 

FORBiaN. 


1,047 
243 

557 

303 
119 

389 
78 

382 
1,250 
1,057 


Chinbsb. 


679 

50 
13 

13 

12 
76 

939 
634 


POPULATION  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 
POPULATION  OF  0^1E.G0^— Continued. 


Counties. 

Josephine 

Lane 

Linn 

Marion 

Multnomah 

Polk 

Tillamook 

Umatilla 

Union 

Wasco , 

Washington , 

Yamhill 


Totals. 

Nativb. 

FORBIGN. 

1,204 

817 

387 

6,426 

6,291 

135 

8,717 

8,474 

243 

9,964 

9,049 

916 

11,510 

8,425 

3,085 

4.701 

4,573 

128 

408 

380 

28 

2,916 

2,692 

224 

2,552 

2,338 

214 

2,509 

2,131 

378 

4,261 

4,038 

223 

S,OI2 

4,798 

214 

661 


Chimbs  B. 
223 

7 
2 

27 

506 

2 

70 

45 
28 


ICO, 

en. 


IMBSB. 


679 
50 

13 

12 
76 

939 
634 


POPULATION  OF  NEVADA— 1870. 

Total,  42,491.     Native,  23,690;  foreign,  18,801. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows: 

Native — California,  2,360;  Illinois,  1,141;  Indiana,  520;  Ken- 
tucky, 603;  Maine,  1,083;  Massachusetts,  998;  Missouri,  1,053; 
Nevada,  3,352;  New  York,  3,265;  Ohio,  1,858;  Pennsylvania, 
1,458;  Virginia,  551 ;  Utah,  954.     Colored,  357. 

Foreign — Austria,  157;  Canada,  1,952;  China,  3,143;  Nova 
Scotia,  231;  Germany,  2,181;  England,  2,549;  Ireland,  5,035; 
Scotland,  630;  Wales,  301;  Italy,  199;  Mexico,  225;  Sweden, 
217;  Switzerland,  247. 


Counties. 


Churchill. . , 
Douglas ... 

Elko 

Esmeralda. 
Humboldt. 
Oander. . . . 
Wincoln . . . 

Nyon 

Lrye 

Stomsby . . . 

Wop 

oLry 

Rashoe  . . . , 
Lhite  Pine. 


Totals. 


I 

L 


196 

1,215 

3,447 

1,553 
1,916 

2,815 

2,985 

1,837 
1,087 

3,668 

133 

",359 

3,091 

7,189 


Native. 

FORBICN. 

140 

56 

791 

424 

2,054 

1,393 

1,065 

488 

1,065 

851 

1,580 

1,235 

2,148 

837 

893 

944 

760 

327 

1,760 

1,908 

108 

'S 

5,557 

5,802 

1,997 

1,094 

3,772 

3,41/ 

Chinese. 


16 
23 

439 

56 

220 

218 

23 
116 

6 

767 

4 

745 
221 

292 


662 


THE   GOLDl 


STATE. 


POPULATION  OF  UTAH— 1870. 


Total,  86,786.     Native,  56,084;  foreign,  30,702. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows : 

Native — Alabama,  145  j  California,  308;  Connecticut,  234; 
Illinois,  2,105;  Indiana,  399;  Iowa,  1,492;  Kentucky,  317; 
Maine,  239  ;  Massachusetts,  492  ;  Michigan,  228  ;  Mississippi,  125  ; 
Missouri,  908;  Nebraska,  272  ;  New  Hampshire,  165  ;  New  Jersey, 
322;  New  York,  2,247;  North  Carolina,  215  ;  Ohio,  1,133;  Penn- 
sylvania, 1,315;  Tennessee,  40=5;  Texas,  104;  Vermont,  325; 
Virginia,  287;  Wisconsin,  117;  Utah.  41,250.     Colored,  118. 

Foreign — Australia,  74;  Africa,  (white,)  128;  China,  445; 
Canada,  566;  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia,  in;  Denmark, 
4,956;  France,  63  ;  Prussia,  152  ;  Germany,  206  ;  England,  16,073  ; 
Ireland,  502 ;  Scotland,  2,391 ;  Wales,  1,783  ;  Holland,  122  ;  Italy, 
74;  Norway,  613;  Russia,  13;  Sweden,  1,790;  Switzerland,  509. 


Counties 

Beaver , 

Box  Elder 

Cache 

Davis 

Iron 

Juba 

Kane 

Millard 

Morgan 

Piute  

Rich 

Rio  Virgin 

Salt  Lake. 

San  Pete 

Sevier 

Summit 

Tooele 

Utah 

Wasatch 

Washington , 

Weber. 


Totals. 

Native. 

FORBIOM. 

2.007 

1,405 

602 

4,855 

2,795 

2,060 

8,229 

5,121 

3,108 

4.459 

3,010 

1,449 

i,277 

1,610 

667 

2,034 

1,344 

690 

1,513 

1,292 

221 

2,753 

1,974 

779 

1,972 

1,215 

757 

82 

54 

28 

1,955 

1,291 

664 

450 

368 

82 

i8»337 

10,894 

7,443 

6,786 

3,890 

2,869 

19 

.... 

19 

2,512 

1,448 

1,064 

2.177 

1,350 

827 

12,203 

8,439 

3,764 

1,244 

887 

357 

3,0^'  \ 

2,455 

609 

7,858 

5,242 

2,616 

Cminesb. 


403 


39 


o 
so 


2 
O 
9> 
H 

s 
>- 


POPULATION   OF   ALASKA— 1870. 
Estimated  at  50,000  Indians  and  3,000  whites. 


* 


T 
R 

Ohi. 

mar 
495 


Mol 
Pirn 
Yav 

Yun 


T 
R 

ticul 
Ken 
Micl 
New 
Oref 
Verr 
478  i 

335  i 

Engl 


Ada 

Altui 

Bois( 

Idah 

LemI 

Nez: 

Onei 

Owyl 

Shosl 


POPULATION  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 


663 


POPULATION  OF  ARIZONA— 1870. 

Total,  9,658.     Native,  3,849;  foreign,  5,809. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows: 

Native — Arizona,  1,240;  California,  156;  New  York,  481; 
Ohio,  235  ;  Pennsylvania,  275.     Colored,  26. 

Foreign — Austria,  24;  British  America,  143,  China,  20,  Den- 
mark, 19;  England,  137;  France,  69;  Germany,  379;  Ireland, 
495;  Scotland,  54;  Sweden,  14;  Switzerland,  23. 


Counties. 

Totals. 

Nativb. 

Foreign. 

Chinbse. 

Mohave 

179 
5.716 
2,142 
1,621 

122 
1,900 
1,208 

619 

57 
3,816 

934 
1,002 

Pima 

Yavapai 

12 

Yuma 

8 

POPULATION  OF  IDAHO— 1872. 

Total,   14,999.     Native,    7,114;  foreign,  7,885. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows : 

Native — Alabama,  26 ;  Arkansas,  24  ;  California,  ^Tfi ;  Connec- 
ticut, 59;  Georgia,  23;  Illinois,  400;  Indiana,  2)^^\  Iowa,  312; 
Kentucky,  243  ;  Maine,  242  ;  Maryland,  65  ;  Massachusetts,  200  ; 
Michigan,  69;  Missouri,  536;  Nebraska,  27;  New  Hampshire,  54; 
New  Jersey,  49;  New  York,  800;  North  Carolina,  44;  Ohio,  550; 
Oregon,  347;  Pennsylvania,  416;  Tennessee,  109;  Texas,  26; 
Vermont,  75;  Virginia,  175  ;  Wisconsin,  118;  Idaho,  925  ;  Utah, 
478  ;  Washington,  47.     Colored— (hj. 

Foreign — Atlantic  islands,  71;  Austria,  26;  British  America, 
335;  China,  4,267;  Denmark,  88;  France,  144;  Germany,  599; 
England,  540;  Ireland,  986;  Scotland,  114;  Wales,  335;  Italy, 
II ;  Mexico,  43;  Norway,  61 ;  Sweden,  91 ;  Switzerland,  52. 


COUNTIBS. 


Ada , 

Altures 

Boise 

Idaho 

Lemhi ... 
Nez  Percys 
Oneida. . . , 
Owyhee... 
ShoshoiK . 


Totals. 

Nativb. 

FoRBICN. 

2»675 

2,178 

497 

688 

286 

403 

3*834 

1,183 

2,651 

849 

205 

644 

988 

509 

479 

1,607 

609 

99S 

1,922 

1,189 

733 

i»/i3 

862 

851 

723 

1 

91 

629 

Chinbsb. 

78 

314 

1,754 

425 

120 

747 

368 
46S 


664 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


POPULATION  OF  WASHINGTON  TERRITORY— 1870. 

Total,  23,955.     Native,  18,931 ;  foreign,  5,024. 

Representing  principally  the  States  and  countries  as  follows : 

Native — Arkansas,  98;  California,  400;  Connecticut,  120; 
Georgia,  24 ;  Illinois,  967 ;  Indiana,  806 ;  Iowa,  749 ;  Kansas,  34 ; 
Kentucky,  403 ;  Louisiana,  59 ;  Maine,  858 ;  Maryland,  102 ; 
Massachusetts,  400;  Michigan,  114;  Minnesota,  63;  Missouri, 
946 ;  Nebraska,  26 ;  New  Hampshire,  96 ;  New  Jersey,  86 ;  New 
York,  1,097;  North  Carolina,  71;  Ohio,  866;  Oregon,  1,615; 
Pennsylvania,  527;  Rhode  Island,  54;  South  Carolina,  28;  Tenn- 
essee, 196;  Texas,  44;  Vermont,  163;  Virginia,  311;  Wisconsin, 
20J ;  Idaho,  76;  Montana,  44;  Utah,  30;  Washington,  5,964. 
Color ti — 207. 

Foreign — Australia,  37;  Austria,  19;  British  America,  970; 
China,  234;  Denmark,  84;  France,  113;  Germany,  645;  En- 
gland, 791;  Ireland,  1.097;  Scotland,  309;  Wales,  44;  Holland, 
25;  Italy,  24;  Mexici  ,  12;  Norway,  104;  Poland,  25. 


Counties. 


Chehalis. ........ 

Clallam 

Clarke 

Cowlitz 

Island 

Jefferson 

King 

Kitsap 

Klikitat 

Lewis 

Mason 

Pacific 

Pierce 

Skamania 

Snohomish 

Stevens 

Tiiurston 

Wahkiakum 

Walla  Walla 

Whatcom 

Wakima 

Island  of  San  J  uan 


Totals. 

Nativb. 

Foreign. 

401 

381 

20 

408 

274 

134 

3,081 

2,606 

475 

730 

645 

85 

626 

400 

226 

1,268 

690 

578 

2,120 

1,605 

515 

866 

434 

432 

329 

289 

40 

888 

779 

109 

289 

225 

64 

738 

591 

147 

1,409 

1,144 

265 

133 

108 

25 

599 

413 

186 

734 

488 

246 

2,?r46 

i>93i 

315 

270 

190 

80 

5' 300 

4,692 

608 

534 

341 

193 

432 

410 

22 

554 

293 

259 

Chinbsb. 


I 
7 

19 
II 
13 

I 
I 
6 
7 

3 

42 

19 

15 
42 
21 


POPULATION  OF  BRITISH  COLUMBIA— 1870. 
Estimated  at  50,000  Indians  and  10,000  whites. 


Calc 

Calla 

Cantc 

Cape 

Juay; 

Half 

Hong 

Hone 

Jeddc 

Kanaj 

La  P.I 

Liver] 

Manz! 

Mazat 

Melbc 

MonU 


TABLES  OF  DISTANCES.  665 

DISTANCES  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  VARIOUS  POINTS  INLAND. 


Alameda 9 

Alviso 46 

Alta 186 

Auburn 152 

Austin 437 

Benicia 30 

Big  Trees 198 

Bridgeport 289 

Carson  City 255 

Cisco 209 

Colfax 171 

Colusa 192 

Copperopolis 155 

Crystal  Springs 23 

Diamond  Springs....  164 

Downieville 232 

Dutch  Flat 184 

Eureka 230 

Fairfield 50 

Folsom 139 

Fort  Yuri\a 732 

Fort  Point 4 

Genoa 141 

Geyser  Springs 118 

Goat  Island 1% 

Great  Salt  Lake  City,  827 

Havilah 450 

Haywards 19 

Healdsburg 80 


Miles. 

Humboldt  Lake 345 

Jackson 1S5 

Lake  Tahoe 228 

Lone  Mountain 3 

Los  Angeles 480 

Lower  Lake 120 

Mariposa 211 

Mp.i7sville 171 

Martinez 33 

Mare  Island 28 

Millerton 175 

Mokelumne  Hill 180 

Mountain  View 38 

Monte  Diablo 44 

Napa 50 

Nevada 182 

New  Castle 148 

New  Alnaden 67 

Oakland 7 

Oroville , 196 

Pachcco 38 

Petaluma 48 

Pino.. 142 

Placerville 167 

Red  Bluff. 247 

Redwood 31 

Rio  Vista 73 

Ruby  Valley 440 

Sacramento 117 


Miles. 

San  Andreas 170 

San  Bernardino 500 

San  Juan  South 94 

San  Jose 51 

San  Leandro 15 

San  Mateo 20 

San  Quentin 12 

San  Rafael 12 

Santa  Clara 47 

Seal  Rock 6 

Silver  Mountain 257 

Snelling 187 

Sor.ora 187 

Sonoma 52 

Stockton 117 

Suisun 50 

Sutterville 114 

Vallejo 28 

Visalia 308 

Warm  Springs 37 

Weaverville 365 

White  Sulp.  Springs,     67 

Willow  Springs 686 

Woodbridge 85 

Yosemite  Valley 247 

Yreka 400 

Yuba  City 167 


DI&,TANCES  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  VARIOUS  PORTS. 


3 

12 

15 


Miles. 

Acapulco,  Mexico 1,840 

Anaheim,  California 312 

Calcutta,  via  Honolulu 1I1380 

Callao,  Peru 4,010 

Canton,  via  Honolulu 7i097 

Cape  San  Lucas,  Mexico i>4SO 

Juaymas,                    "       l>530 

Half  Moon  Bay,  California 46 

Hong  Kong,  via  Honolulu /,ooo 

Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands...  2,080 

Jeddo,  Jap.in 5iOoo 

Kanagawa,  Jap.in 5,000 

La  Paz,  Mexico 1,300 

Liverpool,  via  Cape  Horn •3iJoo 

Manzanillo,  Mexico i>550 

Mazatlan,         "      i>390 

Melbourne,  via  Honolulu 7fi6o 

Monterey,  California 86 


Miles. 

New  York,  vi?  Cape  Horn 14,000 

New  York,  via  Panama 5. 287 

Panama,  New  Grenada 3,260 

Rio  Janeiro,  Brazil 8,320 

San  Bias,  Mexico l>470 

San  Diego,  California 450 

San  Pedro,          "       380 

•San  Buenaventura,  California...  325 

S.-xn  Luis  Obispo,          "        ...  205 

Santa  Barbara,                <•        ...  292 

San  Simeon,                  "        ...  165 

Santa  Cruz,                     "        ...  64 

Shanghai,  via  Honolulu 6,740 

Sydney,  via  Honolulu 6,700 

Tahiti,  Society  islands 4>490 

Valparaiso,  Chili S»3c>o 

Yokohama,  via  Honolulu 5)5^0 


666 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


DISTANCES  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  VARIOUS  POINTS 
VIA  CENTRAL  AND  UNION  PACIFIC  RAILROADS  AND 
THEIR  CONNECTIONS. 

San  Francisco  to  Chicago,  2,406 ;  St.  Louis,  2,388 ;  Baltimore, 
3,232;  Philadelphia,  3,230;  New  York,  3,30c;  Boston,  3,540. 


West  from  Omaha. 

Elevation. 

Distance. 

966 

1,686 

133 

1,850 

'54 

2,789 

291 

3.500 

377 

4.073 

414 

6,041 

516 

8,242 

549 

7ii23 

578 

6,550 

645 

6,732 

709 

6,685 

785 

6,340 

858 

6,879 

966 

4,340 

1,032 

4,905 

1,084 

5,970 

1,214 

4,903 

1,330 

4,508 

1,391 

4,331 

1,451 

4,077 

1,587 

4,507 

1,622 

5,845 

1,656 

7,017 

1,671 

5,939 

1,684 

3,612 

1,707 

2,421 

1,722 

30 

1,775 

23 

1,822 

48 

1,897 

12 

1,908 

XI 

1,911 

1,914 

Omaha 

Lone  Tree 

Grand  Island , 

North  Platte , 

Julesburg , 

Sidney , 

Cheyenne < 

Sherman,  (summit  of  Rocky  mountains) 

Laramie 

Medicine  Bow 

Rawlings , 

Bitter  Creek 

Bryan , 

Wahsatch 

Ogden,  (head  of  Salt  lake) '. 

Promontory 

Toano 

Carlin 

Battle  Mountain 

Winnemucca 

Wadsworth . . , 

Reno 

Truckee 

Summit  (of  the  Sierra  Ncvadas) 

Cisco 

Aha 

Colfax 

Sacramento 

Stockton 

San  Leandro 

Brooklyn 

Oakland  Wharf 

San  Francisco. 


East  prom 

San 
Fkancisco. 


1,914 
1,782 
1,760 
1,623 

1,537 
1,500 

1.398 

1,365 

1,341 

1,269 

1,205 

1,129 

1,056 

948 

S82 

830 

700 

584 

523 
463 

327 
292 

258 

243 
230 
207 
192 

»'7 
90 

»5 
8 

3 


8 

in 


"^      1 


DIS 


Bolii 

Poin 

Tom 

Bod< 

Poin 

Men 

Poin 

Cape 

Fals< 

Tabl 

Hum 

Trini 

Cres( 

Rogv 

Port 

Cape 

Cape 

Dlnp< 

Cape 

Cape 

Cape 


TABLES  OF  DISTANCES. 


667 


DISTANCES  ON  THE  COAST  NORTH   FROM   SAN    FRANCISCO- 
SHORTEST  SAILING  ROUTE  IN  NAUTICAL  MILES. 


MI  LBS. 


Bolinas  Point,     Cal 

Pfiint  Reves.            "      

19 
36 

Tnmnles                      "      

AS 

■RftHpcra  Point.         "     

S4 

Point  Arenas.         "     

lOS 

Mendocino  Citv.    "     ..• 

...         126 

Point  Gordo.          "     

....        188 

Pane  Mendocino.  "     

201 

Fa  se  Caoe.           "     

206 

Table  Bluff.           "     

217 

Humboldt  Bar.      "     

2,2X 

Trinidad  Head.     " 

...         241 

Crescent  Citv.       "     

28^ 

Rogue  river,        Oregon 

Port  Orford.                "     

-         325 

Caoe  Blanco.              "     

...      vA 

Cane  Ara?o.                "     

x2n 

UVnooua.                      " 

...     410 

Caoe  Pemetua.           "     

iU.7 

Cane  Foulweather.    "     

...        A74. 

Cape  Lookout,           "     

510 

False  Tallamook,  Oregon 536 

Tallamook  Head,        "     547 

Astoria,  "     560 

Cape  Disappointment "     567 

Vancouver,  Washington  Terr.,,,      635 

Portland,  Oregon 670 

Port  Angeles,  Washington  Terr,.      740 

Victoria,  Vancouver  island 746 

Esquimau,  *<  760 

Port  Townsend,  Washington  T„  770 
Bellingham  bay,  "  „      800 

Seattle.  "  ••      810 

New  Westminster,  British  Col...  815 
Steilacoom,  Washington  Terr,,..  840 
Olympisi,  "  ,,,.      860 

New  Archangel,  Sitka   island 1,290 

Sitka,  Alaska 1,480 

Kodiak,    "     2,030 

Onalaska "     2,591 

St.  Paul's  island,  Alaska 2,821 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales 3.341 


663 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


CENSUS  OF  CITIES— 1870. 

The  following  table  contaTns  the  population  of  each  of  the  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four  largest  cities  in  the  United  States.  It  shows  all  the  cities  having  a 
population  of  ten  thousand  and  upward : 


9- 
10. 

Il- 
ia. 

13- 
14. 
15- 
16. 

12: 

•o. 
•I. 
•a. 

•3- 
«4- 
•5. 
t6. 

«7- 
a8. 

«9- 
30- 
3'- 
3»- 
33- 
34. 
35. 
36. 

P: 

39- 
40. 

4>. 
4a- 

43- 
44. 
45- 
46. 

%. 
49- 
50- 
5>. 
Sa. 
S3- 
54- 
55- 
S6. 

'I 

I?; 
61. 

6a. 
63 

64. 
6-v 
66, 
67 


Crrv.  Stat*.      PoroLAT'w. 

New  York New  York .- 943,993 

Philadelphia. . .  Peniwylvania. 674,033 

Brooklyn New  York 39^>°99 

Sr.  Loulf Missouri 3io,t64 

Chicago Illinois 398,977 

Baltimore Maryland 367,354 

Boston Maisachuscttt ....  350,536 

Cincinnati Ohio 316,339 

New  Orleans.. Louisiana 191,418 

San  Francisco. .California <49>473 

Buffalo New  York...  .....  117,714 

Washington.... District Colui  ibia.  109,199 

Newark New  Jersey 105 ,059 

Louisville Kentucky 100,753 

Cleveland Ohio oa  ,839 

I^i  ttsbure Pennsylvania 86,076 

{ersejr  City...  .New  Jersey 83,546 
)etruit Michigan 79>577 

Milwaukee Wisconsin •••    71,440 

Albany New  York 69,4a3 

Providence  ....Rhode  Island 68,904 

Rochester New  York 62,386 

Alleghany Pennsylvania S3>'^ 

Richmond Yirginla 5' •038 

New  Haven. , . .  Connecticut 50,840 

Charleston South  Carolina. . . .    48,956 

Indianapolis  . .  .Indiana 48,244 

Troy New  York 46,465 

Syracuse New  York 43t05i 

Worcester Massachusetts  ....    41,105 

Lowell Massachusetts  ....    40,928 

Memphis Tennessee 40,226 

Cambridge Massachusetts  ....    39,684 

Hartford Connecticut 37. '80 

Scranton Pennsylvania 35  ."9a 

Reading Penns ylv.inia 33,930 

Paterson ..New  Jersey 33,579 

Kunsas  City.. . .  Missouri 3a,a6o 

Mobile Alabama 32,034 

Toledo Ohio 31,584 

Portland Maine 31,419 

Columbia Ohio •••..    31,374 

Wilmington... .Delaware 30,841 

Dayton Ohio 30,473 

Lawrence Massachusetts  ....    38,931 

Uliea New  York 38,804 

Charlestown... Massachusetts ....    38,333 

Savannah Georgia 28,335 

Lynn Massachusetts  ....    38,233 

Fall  River Massachusetts....    36,768 

Springfield Massachusetts ....    *6,7o3 

Nashville Tennessee 35,865 

Covington Kentucky 34,505 

Quincy Illinois 94,053 

Manchester. . .  .New  Hampshire. .    33,536 

Harrisburg Pennsylvania 33,104 

Peoria Illinois 33,849 

Evansville ....  .Indiana ai  ,830 

Atlanta Georgia 31,789 

Lancaster Pennsylvania ai  ,295 

Oswego, ...... .New  York •    30,910 

Elizabeth New  Jersey 30,833 

Hoboken New  Jersey 90,397 

Poughkeepsie. .New  York 30,080 

Davenport Iowa 30,038 

St.  Paul Minnsoia 90,030 

.  Erie Pennsylvania. 19.646 


City. 


Statb.     Populat*!!. 


68. 

69. 
70. 

7'- 

7a. 

73- 
74- 
75. 
76. 

77- 
78. 

81. 

8a. 

83. 
84. 
85. 
86. 

87. 
88. 
89. 
90. 
91. 
9a. 
93- 
94- 
95. 
96. 

98. 

99- 
100. 
loi. 
loa. 
103. 
104. 
105. 
106. 

ro2: 
109. 

no. 
III. 
iia. 
113. 
114. 
"5. 
116. 
117. 
118. 
119. 
lao. 

I3t. 

laa. 
133. 
134. 
135. 
136. 

137. 
138. 
139. 
130. 
131. 
133. 

»33- 
134- 


St.  Joseph Missouri 

Wheeling Wrst  Virginia 

Norfolk Virginia 

Bridgeport Connecticut 

Petersburg Virginia 

Chelsea Massachusetts  ... . 

Dubuque Iowa 

Bangor .Maine 

Leavenworth. .  .Kansas 

Fort  Wayne...  .Indiana 

Springfield Illinois 

Auburn New  York 

Newburg New  York 

Norwich Connecticut. ...... 

Grand  Kapids.  .Michigan 

Sacramento  . . .  .California 

Terre  Haute.. .  .Indiana 

Omaha Nebraska 

Williamsport . . .  Pennsylvania 

Elmira New  York 

New  Albany...  .Indiana 

Augasta Georgia 

Cohoes New  York 

Newport Kentucky 

Burlington Iowa 

Le.xington Kentucky 

Burlington Vermont 

Galveston Texas 

Lewiston Maine 

Alexandria Virginia 

Lafayette Indiana 

Wilmington  . . .  .North  Carolina. . . . 

Haverhill Massachusetts  . . . . 

Minneapolis Minnesota 

Sandusky Ohio 

Salt  Lake Utah 

Keokuk Iowa 

Fond  du  Lac . .  .Wisconsin 

Bingharapton...New  York 

Oshkosh Wisconsin 

Vicksburg Mississippi 

San  Antonio. . .  .Texas 

Concord New  Hampshire. , 

Des  Moines.. . .Iowa 

Jackson Michigan 

Georgetown  . . .  .District  Columbia, 

Aurora Illinois 

Hamilton Ohio 

Rockford Illinois 

Schenectady  ...  New  York 

Rome New  York 

Waterbury Connecticut 

Macon ........ .  Georgia , 

Madison Indiana 

Altoona Pennsylvania 

Portsmouth  . . .  .Ohio 

Montgomery  . .  .Alabama 

Nashua New  Hampshire.. 

Oakland California 

Portsmouth Virginia 

Biddeford Maine 

Hannibal Missouri , 

Ogdensburg . . .  .New  York 

Stockton California 

Council  Bluffs. . Iowa 

ZanesviUe Ohio 

Akron Ohio , 


19,566 
19,280 
19,239 

l8,y69 
18,950 
•8,547 
>8,434 
18,289 

'7.873 
I7,7'8 

17.335 
17,014 

'6.653 
'6,507 
16,283 
16,103 
16,083 
16,030 
'5,3«3 
'5,39.? 
'5..189 
'5,3.S7 
15.087 
'4.930 
14,801 

I4.i87 
'3.8i8 
13,600 
'3.570 
'3.506 
'3.446 
'3.093 
13,066 
13,000 
12,854 
ia,766 
12,764 
12,693 
I a, 66a 

'3,443 
13,356 
13,241 
13,035 
",447 
".384 
ii,i6a 
ii,u8i 
11,046 
11,026 
11,000 
io,8;6 
10,810 
10,709 
10,600 
10,593 
10,588 

'0.543 
10,500 
10,49a 
10,28a 
10,125 
10,076 
»o,o66 
10,020 
10.01 1 
10,005 


ANALYTICAL    INDEX. 


Across  the  Continent,  358-367. 

Ac.RicuLTURE,  early,  in  California,  87, 
130-143.  Lands  in  California,  154. 
Flowers  and  seasons,  304-308.  Agricul- 
ture and  commerce,  309-3 1 7.  Vegetables, 
fruits,  and  nuts,  324-334.  Colleges  to 
promote,  388.  Of  each  county  in  the 
StateofCnlifomia,  443-523.  In  Oregon, 
529-538.  Wheat,  cattle,  horses,  &c.» 
537-539-  In  Nevada,  544-546-  In 
Utah,  551.  In  Alaska,  649.  In  Idaho, 
609-612.  In  Washington  Territory 
622-631. 

Alameda  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, cities,  population,  &c.,  488-490. 

Alaska  explored,  36 ;  settled,  65.  Russijp 
American  Fur  Company,  65.  Sold  to 
the  United  States,  70-7 1 .  Area,  cli mate, 
mountains,  rivers,  forests,  mines,  islands, 
cities,  population,  resources,  &c.,  656. 
Population,  663. 

Alkaline  lakes,  172. 

All  nations  represented  in  the  State  prison, 
408-413. 

Alcatras  island,  195. 

"All  of  one  flesh,"  135,  141. 

Almonds,  nuts,  and  fruits,  330-332. 

Alpine  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  moun- 
tains; population,  &c.,  512-513. 

Alvarado  and  Castro's  rebellion,  60. 

Amador  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  511-512. 

America,  colonization  of,  33-39.  North- 
men in,  34-35.  South  and  Central  ex- 
plored, 35-38.  Operations  in  California, 
60-62.  Influence  in  California,  67-72 ; 
Oregon,  71-76.  Citizens  in  trouble  in 
California,  75-79.  Vessels  on  California 
coast,  76-77.     Citizens  of,  in  California, 


86-89.  nag  hoisted  in  California  by 
Sli^at,  94-96  Flag  hoisted  over  San 
Francisco  by  Montgomery,  96-97.  Ac- 
quisition of  territory,  86-115.  Rule  in 
California,  1 16-130.  Influence  in  Japan, 

423- 
American  river,  183. 
Amerigo  Vespucci  names  the  new  world, 

35- 

Angel  island,  195. 

ApachE'=  in  Arizona,  604. 

ArosTc  .  JS  Valerianos  discovers  Strait  of 
Fuca,  616-620. 

Appendix,  population  ?f  United  States, 
Pacific  coast,  and  all  its  Spates  and  Terri- 
tories, 658-665. 

Apples  and  other  fruits,  327-331.  In 
Oregon,  537-539- 

Arguello,  Jose,  commandant  at  San 
Francisco,  refuses  admission  to  American 
vessels,  68-69. 

Arizona,  Chinese  in,  422.  Newspapers 
in,  465.  Area,  soil,  climate,  rivers, 
forests,  mountains,  mines,  resources, 
population,  &c.,  600-606.  Population 
by  counties,  662. 

Arizona,  gold  product  of,  267. 

Ashley,  W.  II.,  with  Astor  in  the  fur 
trade,  75. 

Asphalti;m  and  its  uses,  209,  277. 

Astoria  founded,  71-76.  English  occupy, 
7 1-76.  Formally  surrender,  74.  Call  it 
Fort  George,  74.  Commodore  Wilkes  at, 
81-82.     Rainfall  at,  300,  529. 

Astor,  John  Jacob,  founds  Astoria,  71-76. 
His  fur  company,  71-74.  Dissolution 
of  his  fur  comp.any,  74-75.  Establishes 
another  company,  74-76.  Fur  company 
in  the  Rocky  mountains,  75. 

(M0) 


670 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Atlantic  and  Pacific  railroad,  603-604, 
Australia,  gold  discovered,  asj.    Yield 

of  mines,  267-270. 
Austria,  mining  in,  273, 
Aztecs  in  Mexico,  34. 

Balboa  discovers  the  Pacific  ocean,  35. 

Banishment  of  Mexican  authorities,  61- 
62. 

Barley  product  of  California,  322.  In 
the  several  counties,  443-523. 

Baron  Horton's  account  of  Great  Salt 
lake,  560-562. 

Bay  of  San  Francisco  discovered,  37-43. 
Of  San  Diego  and  Monterey  discovered, 
43-45.  Discovered  by  Don  Caspar  Por- 
tala,  49-51.  First  vessel  to  enter,  51. 
Francis  Drake  did  not  discover,  42-44. 
Captain  John  Brown  ordered  to  leave, 
6S-69.  First  steamboat  on,  I18-125. 
Islands  in,  194-198. 

Bays  and  harbors  in  California,  190-201. 

"  Bear  flag"  in  California,  90-93-96. 

Beaver  makes  a  voyage  to  Russian  Amer- 
ica, 72-73- 

Bees  on  the  Pacific  coast,  244.  In  Cali- 
fornia, 354. 

Beet  sugar,  339. 

Regging  as  a  profession,  400-402. 

Behring  in  the  Pacific  ocean,  36,  65. 

Beliingham  bay  and  vicinity,  619. 

Benevolent  and  aid  societies,  4^0-402. 

Berries  and  fruits,  327-331. 

Big  trees  and  vegetable  growths,  157,  163- 
166. 

Birds,  241. 

Blind,  deaf,  and  dumb,  schools  for,  395. 

Bodega  bay  settled  by  Russians,  59.  Ex- 
tent and  location,  197. 

Boise,  Lewiston,  and  other  cities  of  Idaho, 
612. 

BOLINAS  bay,  19JJ. 

Boundary  between  United  States  and 
Canada,  72. 

Books,  newspapers,  libraries,  and  litera- 
ture, 396-400. 


Book  of  Mormon,  its  origin  and  influence, 

568-600. 
Borax  and  its  collection,  277. 
Boston  merchants  on  the  Pacific  coast, 

6'->-8o. 
Boston,  ship,  on  the  Northwest  coast,  69. 
Bravo  river,  134. 
Brazil  discovered,  35. 
Bridger,  James,  discoverer  of  Great  Salt 

lake,  561-562. 
British   Columbia,  gold  yield    of,  267 

Its  history,  area,  soil,  mountains,  rivers, 

islands,    forests,    climate,    productions, 

mines,   progress,  cities,  resources,  &c., 

632-643.     Population  of,  664. 
British  naval  vessels  in  the  Columbia,  69- 

70.     Occupy  and  claim  Oregon,  72-76. 

Formally    surrender,    74-75.     Seek   to 

secure  California,  93-99. 
Brooklyn,  Mormon  ship,  at  San  Francis- 
co, 116. 
Broughton,  captain  in  British  navy,  in 

*he  Columbia  river,  69-70. 
Brown,  John,  ordered  out  of  California, 

he  remonstrates,  68-69.    First  American 

in  California,  79. 
Buddhism,  the  religion  of  the  East,  430- 

437.     And  other  religions  of  the  world, 

563-569. 
Buena  Vista  lake,  179. 
Bull  and  bear  fights,  237-238. 
Buried,  Chinese  never,  in  America,  434. 
Butte  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  resources, 

population,  &c.,  478-479. 

Cabot  in  Newfoundland,  35. 

Cabrillo  in  California,  36,  42. 

California,  unknown,  34.  Cortez  in,  36. 
Ciibrillo  explores,  36.  Drake  on  the 
coxst,  36.  Viscayno  in,  36.  Spanish 
and  other  navigators  in,  35-39.  Jesuits 
and  Franciscan  friars,  37.  Spanish  rule 
in,  37.  Gold  discovered,  38-39.  Ameri- 
can rule  in,  38.  Pilgrim  gold-seeker? 
in,  38-39.  First  account  of,  40-49.  Ac- 
quisition by  America,  40-47.     Cortez's 


ANALYTICAL   INDEX. 


671 


7.     Cortez'i 


expeditions,  41-48.  Cabrillo  in,  42. 
Francis  Drake  takes  possession  of,  42- 
43.  Calk-d  New  Albion,  42.  Called 
•*  Drake's  land  back  of  Canada,"  43. 
Philip,  King  of  Spain,  interested  in, 
43-47.  Spiritual  conquest  of,  44-49. 
Father  Ugarta  in,  46-47.  Gulf  of,  ex- 
plored, 46-47.  "  Planting  the  cross"  in, 
40-49.  Missions  established  in,  40-49. 
Jesuits  expelled  from,  47-48.  First  set- 
tlement in,  49-51.  End  of  Spanish  rule 
in,  55-59.  Always  unsettled,  58-65. 
France  desires,  59,  Russians  in,  59-60. 
Graham  and  others  revolutionize,  60-65. 
Commodore  Jones  takes  possession  of, 
62.  Early  navigators  and  voyagers  in, 
64-80.  Captain  Cook  forbad  to  enter, 
66.  Boston  merchants  in,  66-80.  Cap- 
tain John  Brown  in,  78-79.  Russians 
in,  70-71.  Early  American  navigators 
in,  67-72.  Jedediah  Smith  first  explorer 
overland,  75-78.  Turner,  Galhraith,  and 
others  arrested,  75-76.  Chinese  immi- 
gration encouraged,  78.  First  Ameri- 
cans in,  79-83.  Early  settlement  in,  79- 
85.  Commodore  Wilkes  in,  80-82.  As 
seen  by  Fremont,  83-85,  89-106.  Mexi- 
can rule  in,  86-94.  Early  condition  of, 
87-106.  War  in,  89-106.  Fremont 
governor  of,  92.  Commodore  Sloat 
takes  possession  of,  92-106.  Mexican 
feuds  in,  97-110.  To  be  ceded  to 
France  or  England,  97-1 10.  Americans 
in  possession  of,  92-110.  Acquisition 
and  boundary  of,  110-I15.  Organized 
as  a  State,  in.  Original  title  to  the 
soil,  112-115.  Under  American  rule, 
early  population,  1 16-130.  Gold  dis- 
covered in,  1 19-123.  Chinese  in,  122- 
123.  First  steamers  in,  125.  Early 
mining  in,  130-143.  Earliest  mention 
of  its  name,  147-150.  Area  of,  151- 
154.  Area  and  population  compared 
•viih  other  countries,  151-154.  Moun- 
tains, valleys,  and  resources,  153-159. 
Rivers   in,   180-191.     Lakes,   171- 179. 


Bays  in,  190-201.  Islands  in,  202-236. 
Springs  in,  207-213.  Yosemite,  214- 
220.  Earth(iuakes,  220-235.  Gold, 
mines,  and  mining,  248-270.  Physicil 
structure,  289-291.  Climate  and  seas- 
ons, 292-305.  Rainfall,  300-303.  Area, 
315.  Wheat,  320.  Resources,  355-381. 
Railro.ids  in,  358-359.  Navigation  of, 
367-369.  Ship-building,  369-372.  Tele- 
graph and  time  in,  371-374.  Commerce, 
trade,  and  shipping,  377-381.  Schools, 
education,  books,  newspapers,  colleges, 
&c.,  377-400.  Relijjion,  prisons,  asy- 
lums, executive,  judiciary,  laws,  lawyers, 
402-419.  Chinese,  420-441.  Counties 
in,  set  forth,  443-523.  Population  by 
counties,  &c.,  658. 

Calaveras,  grove  of  big  trees,  164-167. 

Calaveras  county,  area,  soil,  climate, 
•'  big  trees,"  resources,  population,  &c., 
510. 

Calistoga  springs,  208. 

Canada  Pacific  railway  and  its  mfiuence 
642. 

Canals  and  ditches,  276-277. 

Cape  Horn  discovered,  36. 

Cakmelo  bay,  192. 

Carteret  in  the  Pacific,  36. 

Castro,  General,  revolution  in  California 
60-61.  In  authority,  86-89.  His  com. 
bats  with  Fremont,  89-106. 

Catholicism  established,  40-54,  61.  Its 
extent  in  California,  403-408.  In  the 
world,  563-567. 

Cattle,  horses,  and  sheep,  306-308. 
Raising,  branding,  vaquero,  344-350. 
In  each  of  counties  of  California,  443- 
523.    In  Oregon,  538.    In  Nevada,  545. 

Caves  in  California,  2S1-282. 

Cemenon's  explorations  and  voyages,  65. 

Cement  mining,  265-266. 

Central  Pacific  railroad,  360-367.  Its 
effects,  380.     Chinese  constructing,  426. 

Charitable  and  aid  societies,  400-402. 

C'    'DREN  in  the  schools,  384-387. 

Chinese  in  California,  122-123.     "  Shsill 


6/2 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


enter  tlie  Ooldcn  Gate,"  196-198.  In 
Australia,  269.  Mining  tax,  289.  Chil- 
dren in  the  schools,  3S5.  Men  in  the 
schools,  388  Numbers,  r<£ligion,  em- 
ployment, customs,  &c.,  421-442.  Total 
in  America,  423.  In  Australia,  420, 442. 
Christianity  of  the,  439.  Slavery  of,  in 
America,  440.  In  San  Francisco,  454, 
466.  In  Nevada,  541.  In  Arizona,  600. 
In  Idaho,  613.  In  the  United  States 
and  on  the  Pacific  coast,  558-565.  In 
Washington  Territory,  624. 

Christ  in  jwrson  in  America,  572. 

Christianity,  first,  in  America,  34.  In 
California,  40-54-61,  Among  the  Chi- 
nese, 420, 441.  Chinese  progress  in,  439. 
In  the  world,  563. 

CiiDRCHES,  ministers,  and  religion,  403- 
408. 

"Civilization"  introduced  into  California, 
47-48. 

Cl-EAR  lake,  175-177. 

Cliff  house,  196. 

Climate  in  the  .Sierras,  159-161.  Of  Cali- 
fornia, 292-305 ;  and  frui's,  329-331.  In 
California,  355.  Of  each  section  of  the 
State  by  counties,  443-523.  Of  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  523-525.  Of  Oregon,  526- 
540.  Of  Nevada,  541-547.  Of  Utah, 
550.  Of  Arizona,  600.  Of  Id.iho,  610. 
Of  Washington  Territory,  620-C25.  Of 
British  Coluntbir,  632. 643.  Of  Alaska, 
644,  663. 

Coal  and  coalmining,  277.  In  Washing- 
ton Territory,  623. 

Coast  rivers,  184-189. 

Coast  Range  mountains,  159-162. 

Coast  counties,  climate,  soil,  area,  pro- 
ductions, population,  towns,  443-523. 

Cobalt  and  nickle,  278. 

Coin  only  circulated  on  the  Pacific  coast, 

375-377- 
0)Li.iNuwooD,  Admiral  Seymour, outdone, 

93-95- 
Coi.'jMA,  where  Marshall  discovered  gold 
in  1848,  515. 


Colonization  of  America,  33-39.     Of 
California  and  the  Pacific  coast,  36-39. 

Colored  persons  in  the  United  States  and 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  658-665. 

Colorado  river  and  its  sources,  601.  Ex- 
ploration of,  46-47. 

Colored  children  in  the  schools,  385- 
386. 

CoLUMniA  cruises  on  the  Pacific,  66-69, 

Columbia  river  discovered  by  CaDtain 
Gray,  66-68.  Entered  by  other  naviga- 
tors, 69-70.  British  exploring,  69-70. 
Pass  to,  sought  by  the  United  States,  82- 
85.  Fremont's  explorations  of,  88-94. 
Exploration  and  dis'.:overy,  527-529. 
Navigation  of,  530. 

Columbus  discovers  America,  35. 

Colusa  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  479-480. 

Commerck  of  California,  138.  General, 
309-317.  Tables  showing  extent  and 
comparisons,  377-381.  Of  Oregon,  530- 
535.     Of  Washington  Territory,  624. 

CoMSTOCK  mines,  Nevada,  263-264. 

Confucius  and  his  religion,  431-435. 

CoNORESs,  United  States  ship,  in  Califomi.i, 
96-97.    Announces  gold  discovery,  121, 

CoNsuiij  in  California,  94, 114-115. 

Contra  Costa  county,  area,  soil,  climate, 
resources,  population,  &c.,  487-488. 

Cook's  voyages,  36, 65-68.  Not  permilto>l 
to  enter  California,  66. 

CooLYisM  in  America,  440. 

Copper  and  copper-mining,  277. 

CoRTEZ  in  Mexico,  34.  In  California,  36, 
41-47.     Leaves  for  Spain,  42. 

Cotton  and  rice,  340. 

CoUNTlF-s  of  California,  area,  soil,  climate, 
towns,  population,  &c.,  443-523. 

Courts  and  lawyers,  417-419. 

Crespi,  Father,  at  San  Diego,  49-50. 

CRF-stKNT  Citj?  hariior,  200. 

Crime,  prisons,  and  asylums,  408-413. 

Cuba,  coolyisin  in,  440. 

Cyane,  United  States  vessel,  in  California, 
lOJ. 


Eam.i 

r.VRTl 

p.in 

East 

Ecu  A? 

a  I  ,A 

I'dk.v, 

Edi'ca 

lnMik 


ANAL  YTICAL   JXDEX. 


673 


Dam\,  James  D.,  his  account  or  ^oUI  ui\ 
the  Pacific.  255. 

Deaf,  dumb,  and  hlind.schools  for  the,  395. 

Death  valley,  encounteiod  by  I'lvmoiu, 
84.  Location,  &c.,  180.  Peculiar  feat- 
ures, 225-235. 

Deer  and  other  animals,  1^40-241. 

Defamers,  thieves,  and  quacks,  40S-4 13. 

Del  Norte  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  for- 
ests, resources,  jiopulation,  &c.,  472-473. 

DiAMONns  in  California,  278. 

Discovery  of  America,  33-30.  Green- 
land and  Iceland,  34-35.  Peru,  36. 
Alaska,  36.  Golden  Gate,  37,  Gold, 
38.     Gold  by  Wilkes,  82. 

DivoRCK,  Laws  of,  417. 

Doctrines  and  faith  of  the  Mormons,  596- 
6(X). 

Dominican  friars  as  missionaries,  47-48. 

Dosnf.r  lake,  177. 

"  Donnkr  party"  in  the  Sierras,  i.^. 

Dol'GI.as,  Thomas,  first  scluiol-teacher  in 
California,  no. 

Drakp.,  Sir  Francis,  in  California,  36. 
Takes  possession  of  CaWoMii.n  for  Great 
Uritain,  42.  Did  not  enter  the  Goliien 
Gate,  42-44.  Departure  for  Kn_i;;land, 
43.  In  (.'alifornia,  64.  Ili^  mention  of 
gold  discoveries,  254. 

Dl!  vKR's  bay  not  the  Hay  of  San  Francisco, 
43.  "  1  )r.-ike's  lanrl  back  of  Canada," 
43.     In  .M.irm  county,  198. 

Dry  lakes,  180. 

DtTONT.  Commiwlorc,  in  California,  97. 

Dt'TCH  navit;alors  in  the  Pacific,  36. 

Eaoue  lake,  176. 

Eartih.h'aki;-;  and  volcanoes   in  various 

p.iib  of  the  world,  220-235. 
East  India  Company,  65. 
F.CICANKIA,  Governor  of  California,  alarmed 

ni  American  encroachments,  75-79, 
KriK.v,  j;ol.l  in,  248. 
Er)i'i:Ai'i'"iN,  schools,  colleges,  newspapers, 

books,    382-400.     Ameriian,  in  Jajjan, 

423.     In  buu  1  luncijco,  454  466. 
43 


r.r.l.  river,  187. 

Kl.  Capilan,  217. 

Kl  Dorado  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  513-515. 

Fi,  I  )oiado,  nciv,  discovered,  38-39. 

Fi.KCTKoSii.icoN,  278. 

Elizahktm,  (Jueen  of  England,  claims 
California,  42-43. 

El.K  and  (leer,  240-241. 

Empress  of  Russia  gives  pass  to  Ledyard, 
65. 

Fncland  claims  California,  42-43,  70. 
Sends  expeditions  to  the  I'acitic  coast, 
64-69.  (  Vcu)  lies  and  cl.iinis  Urcgon,  72- 
76.  War  with  the  I'nilod  Stales,  73. 
Formally  surrenders  Orejjon,  74.  Seeks  to 
obtain  California,  93-99.     Gold  in,  250. 

Esf.itttMAl.T  as  a  harbor,  640. 

F.siKRo  b.ay,  192. 

Europe,  countries  of,  com]iared  with  Cali- 
fornia ill  area  an<l  population,  152-153. 
Gold  in,  250. 

Executive,  judiciary,  laws,  &c.,  414-417. 

K.M'.Ml'l  IONS  from  lejiral  process,  41  (). 

Fxri.oKATloNs  and  early  voyages  in  Amer- 
ica, 33-69.  Of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and 
others,  71-72.  Fremont's,  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  82-96.     Of  Oregon,  526-529. 

FAOF.S,  Pedro,  Governor  of  California,  re- 
specting the  Coluin/'in  and  ll'ashitii;toH, 
67. 

Fam,  lake,  176. 

Fakai.i.ones,  Kussian  settlement  at,  70, 
I>Iand  of,  206. 

Far.mim;  and  farmers,  305-317.  Of  f ni  t 
and    vegetables,  334-331-     In   Oregon, 

Fashion  among  the  Chinese,  438. 
"FATHKRS"iii  California,  40,   54.     Van- 
ished, 47,  49-54.     Missions  confiscated, 

55-57- 
Fathkr     Duran,    letter    from    Jedcdiah 

Smith.  76-77. 
Ffaihir  river.  182. 
I'bMAi.h  suffrage  in  L'tah.  584  587. 


It 


674 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


Figs  and  other  fruits,  330-331. 

First  schools  in  California,  384. 

First  vessel  to  enter  the  (jolden  Gate,  5 1 . 
To  enter  the  Columbia  river,  68. 

Fish    in    the   Pacific,    244-247.     lu    the 
waters  of  Akiska,  655-656. 

Fi.athf.ad  Indians  of  the  Northwest,  642. 

Flax  in  California,  324. 

Fi.f.as  in  California,  244. 

Flf-F,t,  Commodore  Wilkes',  in  the  Pacific, 
81-82. 

Florf5,  Don  Jose  Marid,  a  troublesome 
customer- — his  proclamation,  104-106. 

Fl.oWFRS,  304.  Shrubs,  plants,  and  grasses, 
167-X69. 

Floyd,  J.  B.,  encourages  Chinese  immi- 
gration to  California,  78. 

Folsom  as  an  e.irly  trading  place,  75. 

Foreigners  in  America,  on  the  Tacific 
coast,  by  counties,  65X-665 

Forests  and  forest  trees  and  shrubs  in 
California,  162-166.  In  the  sever.il 
counties  in  California,  443-523.  Of 
Oregon,  566. 

Fort  Ross,  Russian  establishment  in  Cali- 
fornia, 70. 

Fort  Vancouver,  e.irly  trappers  at,  78. 

Franciscan  friars  in  California,  37,  47. 
.Sovereijjns  in  the  land,  54,  86. 

France  desires  to  possess  r.-ilifornia,  59. 

1<'HA7.FJI  river,  British  Cohnnltia,  636. 

Fheihkrc.  mines,  274-275. 

J'MtMoui,  J.)Iin  C,  first  cxpolition  to  '.he 
Rocky  mountains,  82-85.  Third  expe- 
dition, 88-96.  Ai)i)'>iiiie<l  governor,  92. 
Early  in  official  ditiiculiics,  loi-iio. 
Achieve!  a  victory,  106-107.  I'olk  par- 
doiW!  nominated  for  I'resident  of  the 
t'nitcd  States,  109. 

Fresno  county,  area,  soil,  clitnofc,  tt- 
fioiirces,  population,  &(      )()6  J^y. 

Fruit,  f'.Vodtifii  •  '        •  \  viilue  of, 

chief  localiii      j  J  !l      Tn 

Mch  of  the  couii  1 

523.    In  Oregon,  53/   jjy       .  .i.s|i()mlM|i 
Tcrrilor)',  620^-631. 


FucA  strait.  Captain  Robert  Gray  In,  6*?. 

Vancouver  and  Wilkes  in,  81-82.     As  a 

boundary,  112. 
Fur  aijd  fur-bearing  animals,  239.     In 

Alaska,  649-656. 

Geysers  of  California,  211-213. 

Ghent,  treaty  of,  applied  to  Oregon,  74. 

G1LLF.SPIE,  Lieutenant,  overland  journey, 
89-90. 

Gilroy,  John,  early  in  California,  79. 

Godhead  of  the  Mormons,  591-592. 

Gold  discovered,  38.  Jedediah  Smith 
said  to  have  discovered,  78.  Discovery 
reported  by  Wilkes,  82.  :  •;  ^  *?red .  t 
Sutter's  mill,  1 19-120.  tar'./  fining, 
124-138.  Yield,  132.  Hunters  buritd. 
144.  Location  of  supply,  157.  In 
Eden,  248.  Of  the  aiicienis,  249.  In 
South  and  Central  America,  249-252. 
Discovei-y  of,  in  the  United  St.aes,  250- 
253.  In  C.ilifo:iii.i,  .\usi.uiia,  Canada, 
and  Nova  .Scotia,  253-270.  Chinese  in 
search  of,  420-441.  "  Mountains  of,  in 
Calilornia,"  422.  I'loducl  of  llie  racilic 
coast,  264-270,  III  California,  Oregon, 
Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  Idaho,  Wash- 
ington Tcrritor}',  264-270.  In  Nevada, 
544.  In  Oregon,  526.  In  Arizona,  603- 
604.     In  Washington  Territory,  623. 

(joi  DF.N  Gate  discovered,  37.  Drake  did 
not  enter,  42-44.  Disct)vercd  by  Don 
Caspar  Portala,  49-51.  First  vessel  to 
enter,  51,  194-198.  Cliincse  shall  enter, 
197. 

Goi.dln  Ilinde,  Drake's  vessel,  42. 

Goi  DEN  plates  of  the  Dook  of  Mormcn, 
56K-6fX), 

Goose  lake,  171. 

GdVi.KNoRS  of  California,  Spanish  and 
Mexican,  57-59.  86-S9,  114.  Milit.'^iy, 
107-109,     American  civil,  414-415. 

(liP  r  PN'iiR  Outicnez  dey^osed,  60-61. 

I    f  saac,  revolution  and  banishment 

of,  Uil   (/J, 

Graniiv  mid  marble,  281. 


ANALYTICAL  INDEX. 


675 


Grant,  first  land,  in  California,  53. 

Grapi"  culture  and  wine,  332-334.  largest 
vine  in  the  world,  335. 

Grasses,  flowers,  plants,  and  shrubs,  167- 
169. 

Grass  valley  mines,  264. 

Gkassiioi'I'krs  blocking  roads,  244. 

Gray,  Captain  Robert,  on  the  Pacitic  coast, 
66-80.  Discovers  the  Columbia  river, 
67-68.  At  Puget  sound  and  vicinity, 
618. 

Great  Britain,  area  compared  with  Cali- 
fornia, 152-153.  Gold  in,  250.  Min- 
eral yield,  269-270. 

Great  Salt  lake,  its  extent,  &c.,  552. 

Greenland  discovered,  34-35. 

"  Griffins  "  in  the  countiy,  14S-149. 

Grizzly  bear,  236-237. 

GirADAi.ui'E  lake,  179. 

Gulf  of  California  explored,  46-47. 

Gulf  of  Georj^ii  and  the  Indians,  640. 

Gypsum:  in  California,  278. 

HAkBOiis  in  California,  igo-avii. 

Half-moon  bay,  193. 

Harems  of  the  Mormons,  597-519. 

Highland  lakes,  177. 

Hogs  and  their  numbers,  353-354. 

Holidays  unknown  to  Chinese,  435. 

"  Holy  Fathers"  in  California,  40-54, 

Home  for  inebriates,  399. 

Homestead  of  husband  or  wife,  or  any 

head  of  a  family,  415. 
Horned  toad,  243. 
Honey  lake,  176. 
Hops  in  California,  324. 
HoRSF^  in  California,  154,  306.    And  their 

use  and    numbers,   350-352.     None  in 

China,  439. 
"  Hounds,"  a  murderous  rabble,  133. 
How  to  secure  the  public  lands,  316-318. 
Hudson  Bay  Company  in  Urc^jon,  74-75. 

Trading    with    murdciuus    In<hniis,    78. 

Ship  at  Monterey,  79.    At  Saii  Francisco, 

117.     In  British  Columbia,  637-639. 
HuMuuLUT    county,    Area,   soil,    climate. 


forests,  resources,  population,  &c.,  469- 

470. 
Humholdt  bay,  {99. 
Humi'IIREY,  Isa.'ic,"!:nnws  the  stuff,"  I20. 
Hunt,   Rev.   T.   Dwigiif,  fii-st    Protestant 

minister  in  California,  118-119. 
HusiiAND,  can  sell  wiic  and  child  in  China, 

435.     I»  LUah,  593-599. 

Iceland  discovered,  34-35. 

Idaho,  yield  of  mines,  267,  610.  Chinese 
in,  422.  Newspapers  in,  465.  Area, 
cliniiite,  soil,  mountains,  rivers,  forests, 
mines,  valleys,  scenery,  resources,  jxjihi- 
l.Uion,  &c.,  607-612.  Population,  Chi- 
nese, &c.,  662. 

Ide,  William  B.,  raises  the  "bear  flag" 
and  Issues  a  proclamation,  90-92. 

Immkjrants,  "the  plains  across,"  121. 
Fk;cking  into  the  mines,  137. 

Importations  in  California,  138.  And 
exportations,  ^'77-381. 

Indians,  Christiak ,  in  California,  45-47, 5a- 
53.  Kodiak,  in  Califurnia,  ()0.  '  'r.  the 
Colorado,  75.  Murder  trappers  in 
Orejjon,  77-78.  Yuma,  plunder  trappers, 
78.  With  Fremont,  84-89.  In  the  gold- 
mines, 13!.  In  the  public  schools,  387. 
In  Oregon,  539.  Of  Ahiska,  645.  In 
Arizona,  6o4-tio6.  In  Idaho,  610.  In 
Alaska  and  British  Columbia,  663. 
In  Wnshingt(jn  I  crntory,  624.  in  British 
Columbia,  634. 

Industrial  school,  195. 

iNEliRiATKs'  home,  j'>9. 

'•1nkiiih.s"  as  a  Injunilary  for  nations,  113. 

Inheritance,  laws  respecting,  416. 

Insane  asyUnn  and  ii       mpants,  413-414. 

Imkrior  and  valley  i  .luics,  arc/,  soil, 
climate,  valleys,  resources,  &c.,  474-503. 

Interest  on  money,  357. 

Intoxication  almost  unknown  among  the 
Chinese,  436. 

Inyo  county,  area,  soil,  mountains,  forests, 
climate,  resources,  population,  &c.,  505- 
506. 


676 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


Inyo,  earthquake  of  1872,  225-335, 
Iron  in  Caliromia,  278. 
Islands  in  California,  202-206. 

Jackson,  President,  account  of  early  trap- 
pers, 78. 

Japanese  in  the  United  States  and  in  Cali- 
fornia, 423.     Religion  of,  431. 

Japanese  junk  wrecked  on  the  coast  of 
Washington  Territory,  81. 

Japan,  Christianity  in,  564. 

Jefferson,  Tiiomns,  interested  in  explor- 
ing the  Pacific,  65.  Lewis'  and  Clark's 
expedition,  71. 

Jesuits  in  California,  37,  44-54.  Ex- 
pelled by  King  Charles  of  Spain,  47-48. 

Jews,  "dispersion"  of,  565. 

Jones,  Commodore,  takes  possession  of 
California,  62. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of  Mornionism, 
his  birth,  career,  and  dctith,  566-boo. 

Joss-houses  in  San  Francisco,  426, 433. 

Juan  de  Fuca  strait,  it.?  discovery,  early 
history,  &c.,  616-625. 

Judiciary,  St-itc,  417. 

Kearney,  General  S.  W.,  ovcrl.ind  to 
Californin,  97.  Persecules  Fremont,  107- 
109.     Takes  his  departure,  108-109. 

Kern  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, poi)ulati.'.)n,  itc,  499. 

Kkndkick,  Captain,  on  the  Pacific  coa.st, 
66-69. 

Kencuki.en  explores  the  Pacific,  37. 

Kern  lake,  179. 

KiNU  Cieorge's  Sound  Company,  65. 

KlNf;'s  river,  183. 

KiNC.  of  Sp.nin,  autlioriiy  in  California,  44- 
47.  Ch.irles  expels  tin;  Jesuits,  47  4X. 
Influence  in  San  I>io(.';i'.  47-4S. 

Kind's,  Father,  expiMlitVins,  46-47. 

Kit  Carson  with  Fremont,  SH-K9. 

Kl  AMATII  ti'unty,  aril,  soil,  climate,  for- 
ests, prodtictions,  jiopulalion,  &c.,  471- 
472. 

Ki.AMAiu  river,  188. 


Lake  Coeur  d'AIine,  609. 

Lake  Eleanor,  178. 

Lake  Pen  d'Orellie,  609. 

Lakes  Tahoe,  Humboldt,  and  others,  in 
Nevada,  173,  542-543. 

Lakes— Lake  Tahoe  and  all  the  chief 
lakes  in  California,  1 71-179.  Ol  Ore- 
gon, 534-536.    Of  Nevada,  542-543- 

Lake  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  resources, 
population,  &c.,  482-483.     . 

Lakks  in  0-cgon,  535. 

"  Land  of  Gold,"  early  mention  of,  148- 

149. 

Lands  in  California,  152-154.  Spanish 
grants  .md  public  lands,  316-321.  Pub- 
lic, for  educational  purposes,  377-400. 
How  dispose<l  of,  416. 

Land  oftiLCs  in  California,  316-317. 

La  Purissima  Concepcion  mission  founded, 

52. 

Larkin,  Thom.-is  O.,  United  States  consul 
at  Miinterey,  92,  114. 

Las.skn  county,  are.i,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, |H)[)ulation,  &c.,  521. 

"LattkrDay  Saints,"  their  religion, 
practices,  and  origin,  566-600. 

Laws,  homestead,  divorce,  separate  prop- 
erly, &c.,  415-417. 

Laws,  mi.iin^;,  282-289. 

Lawyers  and  courts,  4i7-4fl9. 

Lead  on  the  Pacific  coast,  279.  Mountains 
of,  in  .\ri/ona,  602. 

Li'.DVARH,  I"l)n,his  explorations, 65.  Ban- 
ished by  Kmpress  of  Russia,  66, 

Leksk,  J.icob  1'.,  builds  lirst  liouse  at  San 
Fiai'.ciscn,  1 17. 

Lkxjisi.atire  and  I.iws,  415-417, 

LkmaIR  ill  liie  l';u;itic  oce.m.  36. 

I.KM'iNS  aii'l  hmes,  330. 

Let  i  kr  fr-im  ^en  cajitains  Xr  release  .Ameri- 
can cxpl'iicrs,  76-70.  I.  K  PBiiiriMg 
to  Meutci.ant  Wilkes,  .S0-.S1. 

Lewis'  aivl  <  t.irk's  cxpc'laumR,  "St 

Lewis'  aivl  Chirk's  river.  60.S-609. 

LliiKAKn>,  ciillencs,  >.cb<K)l»,  education, 
and  bMuk-i,  377-400. 


ANALYTICAL   IXDEX. 


^n 


LlEDEsnoRFF,  Captain,  introduces  first 
steamboat  in  California,  Ii8,  139. 

Limitation,  statute  of,  417. 

Limes  and  lemons,  330. 

Lion  and  cougar,  339. 

Little  river,  '  88. 

Lone  Pine  destroyed  by  earthquake,  227. 

Los  Angfiles,  battle  of,  63.  County  of, 
area,  soil,  climate,  productions,  popula- 
tion, and  towns,  445. 

Louisiana,  acquisition  of,  113-115. 

Love-making,  peculiar,  among  ihe  Chi- 
nese, 434. 

LoWKR  California  explored,  40-49,  Cortez 
and  Ximines  explore,  41-43.  Ullo.i  in, 
41.  Visited  by  Salva  Ticrra,  44-45. 
Expedition  of  Governor  Portala  to  San 
Diego,  49-51. 

Lower  Klamath  lake,  173. 

LUMHER  of  Oregon,  536-537.  Of  Wash- 
ington Territory,  624. 

Mad  river,  188, 

Maciki.i.an  discovers  the  straits  and  names 
the  Pacific  ocean,  35-36. 

Manufactures  and  resources  of  Cali&ir- 
nia,  355-380.     Of  Oregon,  558. 

Marble  ana  granite,  281. 

Marip«».sa  countv,  area,  soil,  climate,  for- 
ests, Yusinutr  valley,  population,  re- 
sources, iVc,  507-508. 

Marin  county,  area,  soil,  prot'uctiuns, 
climate,  rcsotkrceh,  population,  &c.,  466- 
467. 

Maht'=  ^  '  "-  ve  of  hig  trees,  165-106. 

Maku  lie  wiih  C'liinese,  4*^4. 

M- •  MAI  I,  lam--  W.,  discoVere 'gold  in 
i.ahlornia,  iiy  123.  Lucalinn  of  dis- 
covery, 514. 

Mason,  Colonel,  in  command  f»f  California, 
108-100.     Suixoydcd  bv  Rilrv,  » lO. 

Massa(  in  ^KTTs  Imuch  j>a.s>4H>ns  to  t-'aji- 
tain  Cray  and  a.s.siKialcs,  C>7-63k  Early 
tr.idcrs  t"  the  I'Vitk,  f>6  So. 

MvTrii-MAKiNi-.  Among  the  Chinese,  43?, 

Mknuocino    <\iunty,  aiua,   soil,   climaie, 


forests,  productions,  population,  &c., 
468-469. 

Merced  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  495-496. 

Merchandise,  prices  in  the  mines,  130. 
Paving  the  streets  with,  137.  Imports 
and  exports,  378. 

Mexico,  first  settled,  34.  Cortez  and 
Montezuma  in,  34.  Aztecs'  temples,  34. 
Confiscates  mi.ssions,  54-57.  Indepen- 
dence of,  55.  Rcpulilican  governuier.t 
established,  55-5.H.  Rule  in  Canfoinia, 
57.  Authorities  of,  banished,  61-63. 
Calls  on  "  Uncle  Sam"  foraiil,  70.  Rule 
of,  in  California,  86-<S9.  NVar  with  the 
United  States,  93-<J5.  Feuds  in  Cali- 
fornia, 9/  !!0.  War  with  the  United 
States,  1 10.     Land  grants  in  Calilon.ia, 

153-155- 

Michei.torena  aj  [»inted  military  gov- 
erudr,  62. 

Mli.irAKY  governor,  feuds  and  jealousies, 
107-109, 

MiM.RAL  lands  and  laws  regarding,  2S1- 
289. 

MlNta,  discovery  of  and  rush  to,  1 19-123. 
Early  scenes  in,  124-139.  Of  the  pro- 
cu)us  metals,  and  earliest  hi.story  and 
yielil  of,  24S-270.  Of  nuituls  in  (licit 
Ihitain,  269-270.  Tiinnel-mining,  171- 
282.  In  various  parts  of  the  world, 
273-280,  Mining  law..,  281  "<S9.  Chi- 
nese in,  425.  In  Nev-,d:i  county,  516- 
518,  544.  In  Orogim,  526.  In  Utah, 
55a.  In  Ari/.ona,  00.:  O03.  In  Wash- 
ington Territory,  623,  In  ihitish  Co- 
lumbia, 635. 

MiNisii.RS,  churches,  and  rcliidon,  403- 
408. 

Mint,  first,  in  Califniiila,  205.  United 
States  and  coini\ge,  375-377. 

MiKKuK  lalvo,  lyj  219. 

MisjiioNS  cslrtblished,  40-54,  T-'ouniling 
v>f  San  Fr.uuisto,  SI-VV  Presidios  of 
the,  53.  Knd  of,  in  C.ilifoniia,  54  57, 
lK>lvMv»  nl  Salt  b^Axnci^cu,  117. 


678 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE. 


MoKRAS,  M.  Dudot  de,  French  agent,  59. 
Mohammedanism    and    other   religions, 

563-569. 

Mohave  river,  184. 

MoNCADA,  Don,  at  San  Diego,  49. 

Wows,  coin,  anrl  paper — pajjer  not  in  use 
on  the  Tacific  coast — 375-377. 

Mono  'ounty, area, soil, climate, resources, 
p<jpulation,  &c.,  506-507. 

Monterey,  first  visited,  44.  Porlala's  ex- 
pedition to,  50-51,  Mission  founded, 
52.  *  Taken  by  Commodore  Jones,  62. 
Destroyed  by  pirates,  79.  Earliest  com- 
merce of,  79-82.  Taken  possession  of 
by  Commodore  Sloat,  92-106.  Stockton 
in  command,  102.  Capital  and  consuls 
at,  114. 

Monterey  bay,  192. 

Montgomery,  Commodore,  hoists  the 
stars  and  stripes  over  Verba  Buena,  96- 

97. 

Monterey  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  pro- 
ductions, population,  &c.,  450-45J. 

Mono  lake,  178. 

M0RM0N.S  in  California,  1 16,  582.  In 
Utah,  549  600. 

Mountains,  valleys,  rivers,  and  forests  in 
California,  156-159,  170.  In  Oregon, 
532.  In  \V.c-,hin;^ton  Territory,  6ij.  In 
British  Columbia,  635.  In  Alaska,  h44- 
660. 

Mountain  counties,  area,  soil,  climate, 
rivers,  forests,  mountains,  resources, 
pi)]iul;ition,  &c.,  504-522. 

Mount  Hood,  Orej^on,  533. 

MouMS  Hooker  and  lirown,  635. 

Mount  (Mymjiic,  615. 

Mount  Rainier,  614. 

Mount  St.  Klias,  Alaska,  647. 

MouRMNCi  of  Chinese  indicated  by  whtu, 

434- 
Mui.i-s  ami  their  uses,  353. 
MUROKR  of  children  in  China,  435. 
Mustard,  wild,  324. 

Nanaimo  and  its  coal-mines,  641. 


Napa  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  resources, 
population,  &c.,  483-484. 

Nationalities  in  Slate  prison,  411-413. 

National  education,  agricultural  colleges, 
388-400. 

Native  Americans  in  the  United  States  and 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  by  counties,  658-665. 

Nauvoo,  its  erection,  evacuation,  and  de- 
struction, 578-580. 

Navigation  in  California,  367-369. 

Navigators  and  explorers  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  64-80. 

Navy-yard,  195.     At  Mare  island,  377. 

Nevada,  gold  and  silver  mines,  263-264. 
Yield  of  mines,  266-267.  Railroads  in, 
358.  Chinese  in,  422.  Newspapers  in, 
465.  Area,  climate,  soil,  forests,  rivers, ' 
lakes,  mines,  agriculture,  development, 
and  resources,  541-547,  Chinese  in, 
541.  Beds  and  mountains  of  salt,  546. 
Population  of,  660. 

Nevada  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  mines, 
resources,  jwpulalion,  &c.,  516-518. 

New  Albion,  name  given  to  California  by 
Sir  Francis  Drake,  42-43. 

Nkw  England,  scttlenmnt  of,  36. 

Nkwi'oundlaM),  Cabot  in,  35. 

Ni.wsi'Ai'KR.s,  hooks,  libraries,  and  litera- 
ture, 369-400.  In  .San  Francisco,  454- 
466. 

New  World,  settlement  of,  33-39. 

Nkw-VKAR  of  the  Chinese,  435-437. 

"  Nick  young  men"  and  "bummers,"  410- 

4«3. 
Normal  school,  education,  and  colleges, 

3S2-400. 
Nohtivern    Pacific    railroad,    in    Idaho. 

611.     Its  extent,  influence,  and  import 

anie,  626-631. 
Northmen  in  America,  34-35. 
NoRriiWEbT  Fur  Company  on  the  Pacific. 

72-74. 
NoRiitwEST  boundary  defincc!    I12-115. 
Nova  Scotia  gold-mines,  253. 

Oats  in  California,  wild  oats,  323, 


tion 
Oregoi 

Cisco 
Orient 
Orif.n-1 

R'-Iii 
Owens 

<'iWENS 

quak 
C>xi:n  a 

OVblKR 


ANALYTICAL   INDEX. 


679 


OcKAN,  biy,  and  river  navigation,  367-369. 

OoDEN  ard  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  557/ 

Olives,  luts,  and  fruits,  330-333. 

Onions  in  California,  324. 

OriUM,  used  by  Ci.incse,  436-437.  In  the 
United  States,  437. 

Okanuks  and  other  fruiif,  327-331. 

ORiiiJON,  discovered  and  explored,  66-80. 
First  settlement  in,  71.  John  Jacob 
Astor  in,  71-72.  Pacific  Fur  Company, 
71-76.  Occupied  and  claimed  by  the 
English,  72-76.  Pormally  surrendered 
by  the  English,  74.  Fort  George,  74. 
Hudson  Buy  Con»pany  in,  74-75.  Early 
fur  traders  in,  75.  Trappers  murdered 
in,  by  Indians,  77-78.  Commodore 
Wilkes  in,  81-82.  Wilkes  reports  gold 
in,  82.  Fremont  in,  83-85,  89.  Boun- 
dary defined  and  title  settled,  112-115. 
Gold  product  of,  267.  Rainfall,  300. 
Farming  in,  306.  Railroads  in,  358. 
Agricultural  societies,  394-395.  Chinct^e 
in,  422.  Newspajjcrs  in,  465.  Area, 
geography,  climate,  seasons,  forest', 
minerals,  mining,  agriculture,  rivers, 
mountains,  resources,  population,  cities, 
society,  &c.,  526-540.  Railroads  and 
navigation,  530-532.  Lakes,  forests, 
game,  lumber,  &c.,  534-536.  Agricul- 
ture, industries,  m-inufacturcs,  commerce, 
cities,  progress,  &c.,  537-539.  I'opula- 
tion  of,  6t)0. 

Oregon,  steamship,  arrived  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, 125. 

Orikntal  seal  broken,  38-39. 

Oriental  habits  in  Califuniia,  425-4^9. 
Religion,  430-435- 

Owens  Kike,  176. 

( iWENS  river,  184.  Affected  by  earth- 
quake, 227. 

CVkkn  and  their  uses,  353. 

Oystkrs  and  other  shcU-tish,  145. 

Pacific  coft«t,  in  olwcuiity,  enrly  voyage- 
eis  and  muigiitors  on,  64  So.  Wilkes' 
expedition  to,  80-82.     Its  physical  lor- 


niation,  289-291.  R.iilroitdii  on,  358. 
Mints  and  coinage  on,  375-377.  Chinese 
on,  422.  Newspapers  on,  465.  Area, 
soil,  climate,  forests,  rivers,  mountains, 
resources,  population,  &€.,  523-525. 
Yield  of  gold  and  silver,  264-270.  Mor- 
mon s^^ettlement  on,  582-587.  Popula- 
tion of,  658-665,  Rain,  climate,  and 
temperature,  300-304.  Steam  navigation 
of,  367-369.    Ship-building  on,  369-370. 

Pacific  ocean  discovered,  35-36.  Hehr- 
ing,  Cortez,  Magellan,  Pizarro,  Cabrillo, 
Dr.nke,  Viscayno,  Leniair,  Schouten, 
Willis,  Carteret,  Cooke,  Vancouver, 
Fuca,  and  Kenguelen  in,  36-37.  Early 
navigators  and  voyagers  in,  64-So. 
Wilkes'  and  other  vtwages  in,  79-82. 

Pacific  Fur  Comjiany  in  Oregon,  71-76. 

Pajaro  river,  186. 

Pai.o  Alto,  battle  of,  1 10. 

Pai.on's,  Father,  e?:p!or.itions,  50-51. 

Panama,  steanvship,  arrives  at  San  Fran« 
Cisco,  125. 

Panthf.r,  <-hip,  arrives  in  California,  79, 

Pakai>isk  ai.  known  by  Maundcville,  149- 
151.     Terrestrial,  147-148. 

Pavi-iiing's,  J.  K.,  instructions  to  Lieuten- 
ant Wilkes,  80  81. 

PFj\riu:si  and  other  fruiu,  330-332. 

Pelican  b:  v,  201. 

Pena,  Senor,  prefect  in  California,  6t. 

Peru  discovered,  36. 

PETROM.t'M  in  California,  279. 

Pini.ir,  King  of  Sp-iin,  interested  in  Cali- 
fornia, 43-65. 

Pico,  Pio,  Governor  of  California,  63,  86- 

89, 
Pilgrims,   landing    of,   36,      Agriculture 

of,  310. 
Pioneers  of  Oregon,  539. 
Pkjneer,  first  steamer  on  the  Sacramento, 

'39- 

"  Pioneer  Society,"  guns  of  early  Rus- 
sians, 70-71,  "Pear  Flag"  in  losses- 
sion  of,  92. 

"  Pious  fund  of  California,"  55-56. 


68o 


THE  GOLDEN  STATE, 


Pirate,  Naddodr,  34.  Monterty  destroyed 
by  a,  79. 

Pitt  river,  19a 

PiZAKKO  in  Peru,  36. 

Plants,  shrubs,  flowers,  and  grasses,  167- 
169. 

Platinum  and  plumbago,  279. 

Placer  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  mines, 
resources,  pojnilaiion,  &c.,  515-516. 

Plumas  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  moun- 
tains, valleys,  population,  &c.,  519-520. 

Plural  wives  of  the  Mormons,  579-600. 
New  revelntion  regarding,  591-594. 

Poison  oak,  its  cfTects  and  cure,  167-169. 

Polk,  President,  pardons  Fremont,  109. 

PoLYr.AMY  in  China,  435.  Among  the 
Mormons,  593-599. 

Pope  Alexander  VI,  "  source  of  all  tempo- 
ral power,"  decides  tlie  limits  of  nations, 
I12-113. 

PoruLATioN,  earliest,  in  California,  52, 
1 16-11 7.  Compared  with  other  coun- 
tries, 152-154.  Of  all  the  counties  in 
the  State  of  California,  443-523.  Of 
San  Francisco,  454-466.  Of  Oregon, 
526  Of  Nevada,  541.  Of  Utah,  555.  Of 
Arizona,  600.  Of  the  United  Stutes,  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  all  the  country  west 
of  the  Rocky  mountains,  658-665.  Of 
Washington  Territory,  624. 

PORTALA  discovers  the  Golden  Gate,  37, 
49;  and  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  50-51. 

Portland,  Oregon,  and  other  cities,  540. 

PoRTSMounr,  ship  of  war,  at  Sun  Fran- 
cisco, 96-97. 

Portugal  claims  possessions  on  tli«  Pa- 
cific, II 2-1 14. 

Potatoes  in  California,  325, 

Poui.lRY  in  California,  354. 

Presidios  of  the  missionaries,  53. 

Prisons,  crimes,  and  asylums,  408-413. 

Priklamation  of  W.  B.  Ide,  90-93.  Of 
Commodore  Jones,  62.  Of  Connnodore 
Sloat,  94-97.  Of  Commodore  Stockton, 
102-103.  Of  Flores,  104-106.  Of  Kear- 
ney and  ShuLrick,  loS. 


Professional  begging,  400-402. 

"  PRi)FESSlONAL  men"  in  good  supply,  419. 

Prot^.stant  church,  first,  in  California, 
I18-119.  • 

Protestantism,  first,  in  California,  403- 
408.     In  the  world,  565. 

Prunes,  plums,  and  pomegranates,  331. 

PuuET  sound,  ship-building  on,  370.  Its 
discovery,  early  history,  magnitude,  com- 
merce, and  clim.ite,  616-625.  Effects 
of  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  and  future 
importance,  626-631. 

QiTACKS,  vagabonds,  and  thieves,  40&-413. 
Quail  and  othei  birds,  241-242. 
Quartz-mining,    261-267.     In    various 

countries,   263-268.      Mills,   266.      In 

Nevada,  546. 
Quicksilver    in  California,  379.    New 

Alameda  mine,  494. 

Railroads  in  the  United  States,  on  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  in  California,  358-366. 
In  Oregon,  532.  In  Arizona,  603. 
Northern  Pacific  and  Canadian,  626, 642. 

Rain,  frost,  snow,  ice, and  winds,  295-303. 
In  Oregon,  529.  In  Alaska,  649.  In 
Arizona,  601.  In  Washington  Terii- 
tory,  620-624.    In  British  Columbia,  634. 

Real  estate  and  rents  in  San  Francisco, 

136. 
Redwood  creek,  188. 
Rki.ic.ion  established  by  law,  6f. 
Remcioits  denominations  of  the  world — 

Christians,  Pagans,  Mohammedans,  Jew«, 

Buddhists,  and  Mormons,  563-600.     In 

Alaska,  653. 
Remcion,  cluirches,  and  preadhers,  403- 

407,    Of  the  Chinese,  429-433.    Ol  tlie 

world,  430-439. 
Reptiles,  horned  toad,  242-244. 
Republican  government,  first,  in  America, 

34.     In  Mexico,  SS-59. 
Resourcics  of  California,   1 51-159.     Set 

forth  by  counties,  climate,  soil,  area,  pi o- 

duclious,  and  population,  443-523. 


Salem, 
Salinas 
Salmon, 
Salt  Lai 
Iieoplc 
Salt, 

Nevad 

Salt  in 

cific, 

zona, 

S\IT  la 

locatioi 

and  his 

San  Antd 

San  Antci 

Santa  A 

wons,  5 


f 


ANAL  YTICAL   IXDLX. 


68 1 


Revelation  on  polygamy,  591-594.  De- 
nial of  the  right  of  polygamy,  594. 

Revolutions  in  California,  60-65. 

RllKT  lake,  172. 

Kick  and  cotton,  340. 

Richardson,  Ca{)tnin  W.  A.,  builds  first 
house  at  San  Francisco,  117. 

RlLKV,  General  Hennct,  militarir  governor 
of  California,  no. 

Rivers  in  California,  181-190. 

Rivers  in  Oregon,  530-532.     Of  Nevada, 

542. 

Rcx:kv  mountains  explored,  75-79.  Fur 
companies  in,  75.  John  C.  Fremont  ex- 
plores, 82-85.  Railroad  across,  360-367. 
In  the  Far  West,  635. 

RosANOKF,  Count  Von,  in  California,  70. 

Russian  America  sold  to  the  United  Slates, 
70-71. 

Russian  American  Fur  Company,  65,  649. 
Evacuate  California,  70-71. 

Russians  in  California,  59,  60,  70. 

Russian  river,  187. 

Sacramento  county,  city,  area,  soil,  cli- 
mate, resources,  jxiimialion,  &c., 485-487. 

Sacramenw  City  established,  135-136. 
River  navigation,  138-139. 

Sacramento  river,  181. 

Salem,  the  capital  of  Oregon,  540. 

Salinas  river,  185. 

Salmon,  246. 

Salt  Lake  City,  its  history,  population,  and 
people,  556-557. 

Salt,  mountains,  beds,  and  lakes  of,  in 
Nevada,  546.     In  Arizona,  602. 

Salt  in  California,  210-211.  On  the  Pa- 
cific, 280.  In  Nevada,  546.  In  Ari- 
zona, 602.     In  Utah,  558. 

Sait  lake,  Fremont  at,  85.  Its  extent, 
location,  &c.,  558.  Kurliest  discovery 
and  history  of,  560-562. 

San  Antonio  arrives  at  San  Diego,  48. 

San  Antonio  de  Padua  mission,  52. 

Santa  Anna  revokes  confiscation  of  mis- 
hiuns,  56. 


Santa  Ilarbara  island,  203. 

Sam  \  Iiarl>ara  mission  founded,  52. 

San  lA  Marbara  county,  area,  climate,  soil, 
productions,  population,  &c.,  447-448. 

San  Hernardino  county,  area,  soil,  climate, 
resources,  jMjpulalion,  iVc,  500-503. 

San  buenaventuia  misMon  founded,  52. 

San  Carlos  li  i\us  for  .S.m  Diego,  4S, 
First  vessel  to  enter  the  (Jolden  Gale,  51- 
52. 

San lA  C.italina  island,  203. 

.Sania  Clara  mission  founded,  52. 

Santa  Clara  county,  area,  soil,  climale,  re- 
sources, towns,  |H)pulalion,  &c.,  493-495. 

San  Clement  island,  202. 

Santa  Cru/.  county,  area,  soil,  clim.ite,  pro« 
ductions,  population,  &.C.,  451-452. 

Santa  Cruz  bay,  193. 

Santa  Cruz  island,  204. 

.Santa  Cruz  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Diego  cxpioretl  iiy  Viscayno,  43-44. 
To  be  held  for  ihe-  King  of  Sjiain,  48. 
Arrival  of  .San  Carlos  and  .San  Antonio, 
48.  First  settlement,  49-51.  Mission 
founded,  52.  Delia  Dyrd  enters,  70. 
Turner  and  Galbraith  at,  75.  I'aniont 
at,  103-105.  .'\rea,  climate,  soil,  pro- 
ductions, piinilation,  and  towns  of  coun- 
ty, 444-445- 

San  niej;(>  harbor,  191. 

San  Fernando  Key  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Franci>co  b.-iy,  43,  194.  l)isco\cied 
by  Don  (Jaspar  Portala,  49-51.  First 
vessel  to  enter,  51.  Captain  John  Ibown 
and  others  refused  admission,  67-69. 
Francis  Drake  did  not  iliscover,  42-44. 
First  steamboat  on,  11 8,  125.  Nlands 
in,  194- 19S.     Navigation  on,  367-369. 

San  Franci.-co  city  and  county,  ana,  loca- 
tion, ]>opulation,  commerce,  manufac- 
tures, society,  customs,  newspa)-ei>,  kc, 
454-466. 

San  Francisco  de  Solano  mission  founded, 

53- 
San    Francisco,  mission    founded,  51-52. 
Earliest  settlement  a»,  79-82.    \  iniennci 


682 


THE   en: DEN  STATE. 


at,  82.  Early  condition  of,  87-88.  Taken 
possession  of  by  the  Americans,  96- 
99.  First  house  built  in,  117.  Early 
commerce  and  newspa{)ers,  1 17-123. 
Rush  for  the  gold-mines  from,  1 17-123. 
First  steamer  arrived  at,  125.  Destroyed 
four  times,  134.  Real  estate  and  rents, 
136.    Chinese  in,  426-429. 

San  Gabriel  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Inez  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Joaquin  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, {Mipulation,  cities,  &c.,  490-491. 

San  Joaquin  river,  182. 

San  Jose  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Jose,  loss  of,  48. 

San  Juan  Uautista  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Juan  Capistrano  founded,  52. 

San  Juan  island  and  its  occupancy,  641. 

San  Lorenzo  river,  186. 

San  Luis  Rey  de  Francia  mission  founded, 

52- 

San  Luis  bay,  192. 

San  Luis  Obispo  county,  area,  soil,  climate, 
pro<luctions,  papulation,  &c.,  448-449. 

San  Luis  Obisjx)  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Mateo  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  pro- 
ductions, population,  &c.,  4S2--453. 

Santa  Maria  river,  185. 

San  Mij;uel  mission  founded,  52. 

San  Miguel  island,  205. 

San  Nicolas  island,  203. 

San  Pedro  bay,  191. 

San  Rafael  mission  founded,  53. 

Santa  Rosa  island,  204. 

Savannah  and  Preble  t.ike  the  town  of 
Monterey,  93-95. 

ScHOUTEN  in  the  Pacific  ocean,  36. 

Sci{00i.s,  collejjes,  educ.ition,  books,  news- 
papers, intelligence,  382-400.  In  San 
Francisco,  454-466.  In  Ore^ion,  539. 
In  Utah,  551,  In  Washington  Territory, 
624. 

Schools,  first,  in  California,  118. 

ScHiK)!,  lands  of  C.ilifornia,  3I<S-3I9. 

Scientific  agriculture,  earliest  efforts  to  es- 
tablish, in  Europe  and  America,  3SS-395. 


Scott  river,  190. 

Seals  of  Alaska  and  Newfoundland,  650- 
656. 

Seals  and  sea-lions,  239-240. 

Sea  of  Cortez,  the  Gulf  of  California,  151. 

Seasons  and  climate,  292-305. 

Sekra,  Father,  at  the  head  of  the  missions, 
47-48.     At  San  Diego,  49-50. 

Setflemknt,  of  America,  33-39.  Of  New 
England  and  Virginia,  36.  First,  in 
California,  49-51.  First,  of  California, 
58-59.  In  Oregon,  71-75.  Of  Silka, 
65.     Of  San  Francisco,  1 16-123. 

Seward's,  W.  II.,  purchase  of  Alaska,  70- 

7«- 

Seymour,  British  admiral,  outdone  in  his 
design ;  on  California,  93-99. 

Shasta  county,  ar.;a,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, ixtpuliUion,  &c.,  477-478. 

Shekp  and  wo<il  in  California,  154,  342- 
344.     In  Oregon,  538-539- 

.Shell  money  of  the  natives,  205. 

Shii'-iiuilding  on  the  Pacific  coa.sl,  369- 
370.     On  Pugct  sound,  370. 

SHirriNR  and  commerce,  377-381.  Of 
Oregon,  537-539. 

Shoshone  falls,  Idaho,  608. 

Shruus,  plants,  flowers,  and  gr.asses,  167- 
169. 

.SilLiiKiCK,  Commodore,  in  California,  108. 

Sierra  county,  area,  soil,  clim.ite,  re- 
sources, jK)puIatinn,  &c.,  518-519. 

Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  Fremont  and 
his  p.irty  in,  83-S5.  Clinicite  of,  157- 
161.  Mineral  wealth  and  extent  of,  52  - 
525.    In  Nevada,  541.    In  tlic  Far  W    -1, 

Silk  and  the  silk-worm,  340-341. 

Siskiyou  county,  area,  soil,  clim-ite  for- 
ests, resources,  popul.-iiion,  &c.,  474- 
476. 

Sitka  founded,  65.  With  Al.nska,  ]Mir- 
chaseil  by  the  United  Stales,  70-71,645, 
Location,  iM>pulation,  clini.ite,  &c.,  65J- 

655- 
Slavery  of  Chinese  in  America,  440. 


tries, 


AXAL  YTICAL   LSD  EX. 


683 


ka,  ptir- 
^c,  65J- 


Sl.OAT,  Commodore,  takes  possession  of 
California,  92-106. 

Small  feet  of  Chinc.ie  women,  438, 

Smith,  Captain  Jcdcdiah,  first  man  over- 
land, 75-79.  His  troubles  and  letters  in 
California,  76-79.  Finally  slain  on  the 
Cimarron  river,  78.  Firbt  American  in 
California,  79. 

Smith,  Joseph,  the  "prophet,"  founder  of 
Mormonism,  566-600. 

Smith  river,  189. 

Snakit  river,  Idaho,  608. 

Snow  blockade  on  railroads,  367. 

SuLANO  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  484-485. 

Sonoma  county,  area,  resources,  soil,  cli- 
mate, produclions,  geysers,  population, 
467-468. 

Sonoma,  capture  of,  90-93.  Fremont  in : 
appointed  (jovernor,  92. 

Southern  Fa^rific  railroad,  60J-606. 

Spanish  navigators  on  the  coast  of  Cali- 
fornia, 35-38.  Rule  in,  44-54.  Galle- 
ons on  the  coast  of  California,  47.  Rule 
in  California,  57-59, 87-S9, 1 14.  Jealous 
of  Russians,  59. 

Spanish  granu,  315. 

Si'EECHKS  of  Mexicans  relating  to  tali- 
fornia,  97-100.  Of  Thoma.s  H.  licnton, 
I13-I14. 

"Spiritual"  conquest  of  California,  44-49. 

Springs  in  California,  207. 

Stanislaus  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  491-493. 

State,  California  organized  as  a,  III. 
Area  and  resources  of,  151- 159. 

State  of  Deseret  seeks  admission  into  the 
Union,  583-584. 

State  laws  respecting  homestead,  separate 
properly,  exemptions,  and  divorce,  415- 

417. 

State  prison  and  its  occupants,  408-413. 

State  university  and  school,  390. 

Stars  and  stripes  hoisted,  92-99. 

Sti-:vVMERS,  (Irsl.in  California,  1 18-125, 13S- 
139.  Sniiin;^  to  various  purls  and  coun- 
tries, 367-309. 


"  Stf.venson's  regiment"  in  Califomin,  97. 
St.  CiEoRr.E  and  St.  Paul,  Alaska,  650-656. 
Slt)CKTt)N,  Commodore,  in  California,  96- 

97.     In  command  at  Monterey,  102- 105. 
.Strait  of  Fuca,  discovery,  early  histiuy, 

and  voy.igcs  to;  Captains  Gray  and  Cook 

at,  616-625. 
.Strawherkirs,  season  of,  333. 
Sulphur  in  California,  280. 
SuNOL,  Antonio  M.,  early  settler  in  C»ii- 

foriiia,  79. 
Su  pro  tunnel  and  the  Comstock  lode,  271- 

273. 

Suiter  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  481-482. 

SuTTKR,  John  A.,  in  the  revolutions,  63, 
Purchases  Russian  property,  70-71. 
Fremont  at  his  home,  84.  Gold  ditcov- 
ert'd  .It  his  mill,  1 19-123. 

Suiter's  fort,  Fremont  at,  92-93. 

Swan  lake,  176. 

"Syuney  ducks,"  a  riotous  rabble,  134. 

Tar  springs,  210. 

Taylor,  Gcnei.-il,  in  Mexico,  93. 

Tea,  its  culture  and  variety,  335-339.  Im- 
ports of,  380. 

Telegraph  on  the  Pacific  coast,  371-374. 

Temperature  in  various  parts  of  the  world, 
302-304.  In  the  several  counties  of  Cali- 
fornia, 443-523- 

Temperate  liabits  of  the  CTiinese,  436. 

Tennent,  brig,  enters  the  Columbia  river, 
69. 

"TtRRKSTRiAL  paradise"  on  the  Pacific, 
147-148. 

"The  Rook  of  Constant  Purity,"  197. 

The  Hridal  Vail,  219. 

The  California,  first  §teamcr  in  California, 

'    125. 

"  The  Cross"  planted  in  California,  40-49. 

The  "Dome"  of  Yosemite,  217. 

The  flea  in  California,  244. 

The  Five  Classics  and  Four  Bonks,  431. 

The  Golden  Rule  of  Confucius,  432. 

"  The  last  tie  and  the  last  spike,"  365. 

Thi.  place  for  the  boys,  392. 


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684 


THE   GOLDEN  STATE. 


«  The  same  Brown,"  68. 
Thieves,  robbers,  and  vagabonds,  408-413. 
TiERRA,  Salva,  visits  California,  44-46. 
Time  in  various  places,  371-374. 
Timothy  and  clover  not  universally  grown, 

169,  323. 
Tin  in  California,  280-281. 
Tobacco  in  California,  325. 
ToMALES  bay,  198. 
Towns  in  the  counties  of  California,  443- 

523-    »• 

Trans-continental  railroads,  359-367. 

Trappers  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  in  the 
Rocky  mountains,  71-80. 

Treaty  of  Utrecht,  72.  Of  Ghent,  74. 
Between  Russia  and  the  United  States, 
70-71.  Between  Mexicans  and  Ameri- 
cans, 106-107.  Of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo, 
H0-115.    With  France  and  Spain,  113- 

"5- 

Treasure  and  commerce  compared,  377- 

•  381- 

Trees,  fruits,  and  herbs,  329-331. 

Trinity  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  476-477. 

Trinity  bay,  200, 

Trinity  river,  189. 

Truckee  lake,  177. 

Tulare  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  re- 
sources, population,  &c.,  497-498. 

TuuvRE  lake,  171. 

Tuolumne  county,  area,  soil,  climate, 
mountains,  forests,  resources,  population, 
&c.,  508-510. 

UdARTA,  Father,  in  California,  46-47. 

Ulloa,  Fratjcisco  de,  explores  Lower  Caii- 
fornia,  41. 

"  Uncle  Sam"  showing  his  authority  on 
the  Pacific,  70-71. 

United  States,  encourages  Captain  Gray, 
67-80.  Settles  difficulties  between  Russia 
and  Mexico,  70-71.  Citizens  ordered 
out  of  California,  67-69.  Purchases 
Alaska,  70-71.  Northern  boundary,  72. 
War  with  Great  Britain,  73.     Congress 


interested  in  exploration,  78-79.  Con- 
gress projects  Wilkes'  expedition  to  the 
Pacific,  80-82.  Seeks  pass  to  the  Co- 
lumbia river,  82-85.  Takes  possession 
of  California,  92-106.  Officials  and  sol- 
diers in  California,  92-109.  War  with 
Mexico,  no.  Gold  discovery  in  and 
product  of,  250-253.  Mining  laws,  281- 
289.  Aid  to  railroads,  363-364.  Branch 
mint  and  coinage,  373-377.  Establishes 
agricultural  colleges,  388-400.  Courts, 
418.  Chinese  and  Japanese  in,  420-441. 
Acquisition  of  Oregon  and  other  terri- 
tory. 526-529.  Religious  denominations 
of,  565.  Acquires  Alaska,  656.  Popu- 
lation of,  658.  Yellowstone  Park,  628. 
Aid  to  Northern  Pacific  railroad,  630. 

Union  Pacific  railroad,  363-366. 

Utah,  precious  metals  in,  267.  Chinese 
in,  423.  Newspapers  in,  465.  Area, 
climate,  mines,  soil,  rivers,  lakes,  agri- 
culture. Mormons,  population,  cities,  de- 
velopment, religion,  549-600.  Popula- 
tion of,  661. 

Utrecht,  treaty  of,  72.  As  applied  to 
the  Northwest  boundary,  112-115, 

f 
Vagabonds,  quacks,  thieves,  and  villains, 

408-413. 

Vaixejo,  General,  at  the  head  of  military 
affairs,  60-64,  86-89.  Taken  prisoner, 
90.  Bavors  the  Americans :  his  speech, 
99-100. 

Valleys  and  mountain  ranges,  170.  For- 
mation. 289-291.    Flowers  on,  304-305. 

Vancouver  island  and  British  Columbia, 
637-639.     Boundary  of,  112. 

Vancouver  in  the  Pacific,  36.  Island 
named,  37,  66. 

Vegetadle^,  early,  in  the  mines,  130- 
143.  Production  of,  325-326.  And 
chief  productions  of  each  county  in  Cali- 
fornia, 443-523. 

Viceroy  of  Mexico's  interests  in  California, 

42,  43-49- 
Victoria  and  Vancouver  island,  637. 


ANALYTICAL   INDEX. 


685 


(.     Con- 
n  to  the 
the   Co- 
Dssession 
and  sol- 
Var  with 
^  in  and 
aws,  281- 
.    Branch 
;stablishes 
,     Courts, 

,420-44»- 
ither  terri- 
aminations 
;6.  ropu- 
Park,  628. 
lad,  630. 
>. 

I.  Chinese 
^65.  Area, 
lakes,  agri- 
rt,  cities,  de- 
o.     Popula- 

applied  to 
!-U5. 

ind  villains, 

of  military 

en  prisoner, 

his  speech, 

170.  For- 
on, 304-305- 
ph  Columbia, 


3"- 


Island 


mines,  130- 
5-326.  And 
aunty  in  Call- 
in  California, 


ViNCENNES  at  San  Francisco,  82. 
Virginia    and   other  cities  of   Nevada, 

547- 

Virginia,  first  settlement  in,  36. 

ViscAYNO,  Spanish  explorer,  on  the  coast 
of  California,  36.  Reaches  San  Diego, 
43-44;  and  Monterey,  44-45,  65. 

Volcanic  eruptions  and  indications,  220- 

235- 
Voyages  and  explorations  on  the  Pacific 
coast,  64-80. 

Walking,  how  the  Chinese  do,  439. 
Wallamet  valley  and  its  resources,  537- 

539- 
Wallamet  falls,  Oregon,  530. 
Wallamet  river  and  its  navigation,  531- 

532- 

Walnuts,  fruits,  and  berries,  330-332. 

War  in  California,  89-106.  Between  the 
United  States  and  Mexico,  110.  Of 
Queen  Anne  and  Louis  XIV,  113-I14. 
With  the  Mormons,  584-585. 

Warm  springs,  208. 

Washington  Territory,  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany in,  74-75.  Wilkes  visits  wreck  of 
Japanese  junk  in,  80-82.  Gold  product 
of,  267.  Rainfall,  300.  Ship-building 
in,  370.  Chinese  in,  423.  Newspapers 
in,  465.  Area,  climate,  soil,  mountains, 
rivers,  harbors,  forests,  mines,  fish,  pop- 
ulation, resources,  railroads,  &c.,  613. 
Population,  Chinese,  &c.,  631. 

Waterfalls,  Yosemite,  and  others,  214- 
220.     Wallamet,  Oregon,  530. 

West  Indies,  Coolyism  in  the,  440. 

Whales  in  the  Pacific,  245. 

Wheat  in  California,  154-305.  Product 
of  the  State  of  California,  320.  In  the 
several  counties,  443-523.  In  Oregon, 
537.  In  Nevada,  Oregon,  and  other 
places,  544. 


White  Sulphur  springs,  208.  Soda  springs, 

209. 
Widows  restrained  from  marrying,  438. 
Wife's  separate  property,  416. 
Wild  oats  in  California,  169,323. 
WjLD  game  in  Oregon,  536. 
Wilkes',  Commodore,  expedition    to  the 

•  Pacific  coast,  80-82, 
Willis  in  the  Pacific  ocean,  36. 
Wine  and  grapes,  332-334.     Shipment  of, 

381- 

Wives  of  the  "  Saints,"  594-6oa 

Woman   among  the   Mormons,  her   con- 
dition, &c.,  554. 

Wool  in  California,  154.    In  Oregon,  538. 

Worship  of  the  Chinese,  433-435. 

XiMiNES  explores  Lower  California,  41. 

Yankee   revolution  in  California,  60-61. 

Still  bothersome,  62-63.     Enterprise  on 

the  Pacific  coast,  66-87.     Merchant  in 

the  mines,  131-132. 
Yellowstone  valley,  its  geysers,  beauties, 

and  wonders,  628. 
Yellowstone  national  park,  the  largest 

in  the  world,  628. 
Yeri?a  Buena,  first  settlement  at,  117. 
Yerba  Buena,  or  Goat  island,  196. 
Yolo  county,  area,  soil,  clijnate,  resources, 

population,  &c.,  481-482. 
Yosemite  valley  and  falls,  158,  214-220. 

Location  of,  &c.,  507. 
YouNG.Brigham,  converted  to  Mormonism : 

his  birth  and  eventful  career,  576-600. 
Yukon  river,  its  extent,  &c.,  648. 
Yuba  county,  area,  soil,  climate,  resources, 

population,  &c.,  480-481. 
Yuba  river,  182. 

"  ZioN,  which  never  shall  be  moved,"  575, 
Zoology  of  California,  236-247. 


md,  637. 


KHH 


m 


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The  following  are  a  few  of  the  many  reports  received  from  Agents  i 

Oar  agent  ia  Oreeaville,  S  C,  sold  6j  Biblos,  nioxtly  lii^li  prices,  in  ei^lit  days. 

Onr  iiif'n'  '1  Tallahassee,  Fla.,  sulil  11  the  tli'.st  day,  aiul  !>:i  in  oue  week's  cauvass. 

From  Aberdeen,  Mi«s.,  our  agent  reporis  nearly  UOO  -old  in  less  ih  n  iliree  montbd'  work. 

Kiliegh,  N.  C,  aj;ent  i-old  and  delivered  87  in  twenty-two  dayH*  time. 

18  were  aoM  la  on  >  day  and  Hi  iu  uue  week's  tiuii.',  by  our  a^out  iu  Saleiq County,  N,  J.,  who  also 
cleared  ;J3,000  In  one  year's  canvii»u. 

Our  at,'enl  iu  Berks  County,  Pa.,  averages  60  Bibles  a  mouth  for  four  months,  three-fouithsof  them 
he\aa  of  the  Oerman  editiia. 

'The  a>;ent  of  Schuylkill  County,  Pa.,  sold  Bibles  enough  in  one  y.>ar's  time  to  buy  aoomiort- 
able  home, 

A  lady  agent  at  Boston,  Oa.,  80I1I  5 copies  for  hnr  first  half  'iay'a  work. 

Colnnibia,  S.  C.,  was  supplied  by   oir  nijHut  with  oO  <■  'P  hs.  iu  five  d  ys'  time. 

Our  agput  In  '/olumbia  County,  Oi\U\  delivered  IftO  t^npies  In  3  small   ownslilps. 

Our  Cliemun    County,  N.  V.,  agent  sold  -I'i  Hihles  willilu  a  radius  ol  two  niilos. 

Our  agent  at  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  sold  1000  Bibles  Iu  oue  year's  time,  an  avuraje  of  nearly  100 
a  month. 

riimsburg,  Holmea  County,  Ohio,  agent  8old  40  in  »lx  days. 


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GELISTS.   APOSTLES,    AND     MARTYRS;     THE    EVIDEBTCES    OF 
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AND    MONEY-TEBMS. 

A.    CiXTA-RTO    "VOLXJIwIB    OF    750    r»J>LC3-BS. 

AGENTS   WANTED  to  every  Township  In  the  litnil,  to  whom  eznlnflire  territory  will  b« 
grautud.    It  will  be  turuitUeJ  lu  SUU^OIlliiUKS  »i  the  following  priced,  payable  on  dellTery. 


Englisli  Cloth,  Fanelld  Sides,  G!lt  Centre, 
Red  Roan,  ...... 

French  Morocco,  Panelled  Sides,  Fall  Gilt, 


$5  00 

6  00 

7  60 


SOLD  ONLY   BY    REGULARLY    APPOINTED    AGENTS.     If   not  •« 

reprenented,  tabierlbert  will  b«  under  no  obllKation   whatever  to  take  and  pay  for  the  Book  when 
preiented  for  delivery. 

WJVI.  FLINT  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Chicago,  Ills.,  Cincinnati,  0.,  Atlanta,  Gfa.,  Spfing&eld,  Mass. 


^ 

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PjlOFUSELY  AND  ARTISTICALLY  ILLUSTRATED. 

with  over  Three  Hundred   Illustration*. 


THE 


PICTORIAL  HOME  BIBLE. 

DEVOTIONAL  AND  EXPLANATORY. 


Containing  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  A-poorypliAt  Oonoordanoe,  One 
Hundred  Thousand  Marginal  References  and  Readlngsi  Illustrative  Bngrav- 
ings,  on  Steel,  Wood,  and  in  Colors,  over  Three  Hundred  in  number,  and  an 
original  series  of  more  than  Twenty  Coaipaaion  Artioles,  forming  a  Popular 
Cyolopedia  of  Biblioal  Subjeots.  vivid  and  absorbing  in  desoription. 

These  oompriaat  The  Holy  Bible  and  its  History  t  Analysis  of|  the  Biblv; 
Books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments ;  Animals  of  the  Holy  Bible ;  Trees, 
Plants,  Flowers  and  Fruits  of  the  >  oly  Boriptures;  Eastern  Manners  and 
Customs  i  The  Forty  Years'  Wanderings ;  Jewish  Worship :  Its  Types 
Xixplained;  Idols  and  Idolatry  of  the  Anoients;  Countries  and  Nations  of  the 
Bible;Tba  Holy  Land;  The  City  and  Environs  of  Jerusalem  t  Historical 
Conneotion  of  the  Old  and  New  Testuments;  Bible  Propheoies  and  their 
FulQlmenta;  Immanuel,  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  The  Missionary  Journeys  of 
the  Apostle  Paul ;  The  Bible  in  Historical  Order ;  The  Symbolical  Langu  age 
of  Scripture ;  Chronologioal  Index  to  the  Holy  Bible ;  Key  to  the  Antiqiuated 
Words  of  Scripture  ;  The  Proper  Names  of  Scripture ;  Jewish  Weights  and 
Measures ;  Tables  of  Scriptural  Coins  and  Money  Terms ;  Bible  Aids  for 
Booial  and  Private  Prayers,  eto. 

PUBLISHED  IN  ENSLISH  AND  IN  aSHUAN  EDITIONS. 


No.  A,  Ameriesn  Morocco,  Piinellcil.^idcs,  ^Iwbleil  Ftli^c,          .         .         ,         ,  $7  50 

Ko.  B,  American  Morocco,  l'anclli>il  K\^\^s,  Mnrblod  Rdi^cs,  Oilt  Centre  Stamp,  .        .           .  9  Ot) 

No.  C,  American  Morocco,  I'anelleil  Si(li>!i,  Gilt  l^(l;;e!i,  Gilt  Centre  titamp,          .         .  10  00 

No.  D,  French  Morocco,  Antique  and  Gold,  G!lt  Edges  and  Ed^eii  of  the  Cover  rolled.  Full  Gilt,  14  00 

No.  K,  French  Horoccu,  Panelled  Sides,  Full  Gilt  with  Clasp,  Edges  of  the  Cover  rolled.  Full  Gilt,  16  00 


Ask  our  Canvassing  Agents  for  a  Pictorial  Circular,  or  rend  to 

WM.  FLINT  &  CO.,  Publishers, 

Philaielphia,  Pa.,  Chicago,  Ills.,  Cincinnati,  0.,  Atlanta,  Qa.,  Springfield,  Mas0. 


■™w 


$7  50 

9  00 

10  00 

14  00 

\,  16  00 


